6 steps to wellbeing communication success

Customised communication is seen as the best way to integrate benefits into wellbeing strategies, according to two fifths (42 percent) of UK organisations which responded to Legal & General’s latest Wellbeing at Work Barometer[1].*

Why is this integration needed? Finding and keeping the right employees for a role is strongly dependent on what a company is doing to help support their health and happiness. Over 8 in 10 (84 percent) employee respondents to the same survey said they would be more likely to work for an organisation which is open about its commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its employees.*

With that in mind, wellbeing should arguably underpin every aspect of a robust employee value proposition (EVP), the ‘what is in it for me?’ in terms of compensation, benefits, career, and culture. But while a wellbeing strategy can sit apart from employee benefits and may not be seen by the employer as a core outcome, organisations are arguably not doing themselves any favours by isolating it.

The solution to this need not be complex. But it does require some internal communication know-how to help make the shift from scattergun to strategic. Here is a basic 6-step approach any organisation can follow:

Step 1: Where do you want your communication to be?

 Consider the organisations overriding goals and speak to line managers about their employees’ vision and expectations. Then start to translate this into a communication end-goal; what do you want your employees to know, feel, think, do?

Step 2: Where are you now?

Carry out a simple communication audit. Part one of this involves looking at where your organisation’s wellbeing strategy is now and where you want it to be, with regards to an integrated approach which supports a robust proposition.

Step 3: How do you get there?

Part two of a communication audit should focus on how to bridge the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be. It should involve getting to know your employees through regular insight gathering; assessing what communication channels and messages are working now – who uses what, when and what for. Insights from your IT department, as well as surveys and informal chats, can help here.

 Step 4: Who are you talking to?

Consider a basic segmentation of your employees so that you can tailor messages and channels better; to interests, needs, and circumstances. Segmentation can vary from the simple – i.e. those on-site, homeworkers and in-between – to the complex, such as attitude and disposition toward the organisation and the support it provides to employees.

Step 5: Develop your communication plan?

With the above four steps in hand, it is time to draft a plan of action; a plan that encompasses year-round purpose-led communication, not just sporadic according to a specific wellbeing initiative or a flex choice window.

Step 6: How did you do?

Importantly, monitor progress. Find out how communications are landing and tweak the plan accordingly. To do this, go back to the ‘know, think, feel, do’ outcomes mentioned in Step 1 and look at how best to gain the insights you need.

For a guiding hand with all of this, download Legal & General Group Protection’s free HR toolkit, which takes you through the six steps in more detail and includes handy, templates and checklists. There are no catches, you don’t need to be an existing client, it is just meant to help employers become self-sufficient in this increasingly important area.

[1] *Wellbeing at Work Barometer. Legal & General Group Protection commissioned Opinium in August 2021 to research 1,003 senior managers and 1,000 employees (middle managers and below) in businesses over 250 employees. These findings were combined with SME research findings carried out by the provider in partnership with Opinium in May 2021 among 1,055 employees (middle managers and below) in businesses with 10-249 employees and 1,011 senior managers in business with 10-249 employees.