As well as being a first point of call for employees, managers are also perfectly positioned to provide HR, people and wellbeing professionals with a valuable glimpse into the issues affecting their workforce.
They can help you figure out what’s working well, what needs improvement, and where to invest your time (and money) to have the most impact. You can think of this like a cycle:
Assess workplace needs
What challenges are facing your industry? Do you notice any patterns or trends in the health and wellbeing of your people? What do your managers need to do to help you solve these issues?
You could also use a pulse survey to gain direct insight into the employee experience.
Communicate policy and offer support
Update any wellbeing policies you have in place, and make sure your managers are clear on what actions they need to take. You could socialise this best practice via workshops, emails, video calls, in-person conversations, or ‘managers digest’ meetings. You might need to use various methods to reach the whole organisation. Remember to note any common questions or areas of concern.
Develop people and capability
Organise any specific training and activities for managers and employees, to help support them in their day-to-day. This might include things like Mental Health First Aid or wellbeing workshops for managers. Or it might be more hands-on initiatives such as health and lifestyle screenings or fitness classes. You’ll want to develop your people’s awareness of key wellbeing challenges and how they can take action to improve their overall health, with support from their manager.
Implement and monitor
Give any new policies or activities time to become regular habits. During this time, managers should encourage people in their team to discuss their professional goals, performance and emotional wellbeing so they can notice any changes.
Gather feedback and data
Gather feedback from your managers to inform your next steps. Their regular interactions with their team will provide a unique insight into your company culture and any specific wellbeing challenges. This will also help you to notice areas of improvement needed for internal management training.
This is a great time to check in with your key business metrics such as absence rates, retention and employee engagement, to build a full picture of how your strategy is working. Then the cycle begins again.