Organizations are being cautious about spending this year, so it’s all about doing more with what you have. Two things that come to mind for this are retention and engagement. The data supports these priorities: according to research by Lattice, nearly two-thirds of HR leaders are prioritizing retention over talent acquisition. Further, 83% of teams are investing more into retention than they have in the past. 

From an engagement perspective, 86% of HR teams surveyed say they’re going to put more effort into improving employee engagement this year than in the past.

One of the main challenges in engagement and retention is burnout, a symptom that continues to grow. While company culture is a major factor in preventing burnout, the employee’s ability and knowledge to take care of themselves is also critical. For some, it’s not for lack of wanting to, it’s often a lack of understanding the impact that preventative factors like nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness can have on burnout.

The antidote to burnout is resilience. We will never remove someone’s stress altogether, but we can teach them how to manage their stress better. It’s why in our lunch and learn, The 5 Key Factors in Self Care, the guidance is framed around building resilience. In fact, resilient employees are much less likely to leave an organization. More than 9 in 10 employees who think of themselves as resilient say they intend to remain with their current company for at least the next two years, while only half of the employees who do not describe themselves as resilient plan to do so.

What is something actionable that you can influence with respect to your employees’ resilience? Your workplace wellness program. In organizations that had a comprehensive wellness program (not just a lunch and learn here and there, a full-year program with multiple offerings and touchpoints), their employees were 3x more likely to describe themselves as resilient.

We know from our client feedback and results that educating and motivating employees around improved movement, nutrition, mindset and rest habits are critical factors in building resilience. In fact, research shows that employees in good health are more likely to deliver optimal performance in the workplace. When an employee feels their best, influenced primarily by how they take care of themselves, they are more engaged at work. A more engaged workforce is easier to retain and more profitable in the long run.

To summarize, supporting your teams in wellness initiatives that build resilience will help your organization thrive during recessionary times. If you would like to learn more about how we can create a custom wellness program for your staff, with low lift on the HR side, please click here to get in touch.