A healthy intersection of business success and employee wellbeing has reached an all-time critical high.  More than ever before, businesses and managers need to support a workplace where employees feel that their health and well-being are prioritized so they can thrive. On this episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton is joined by Debi Yadegari, Founder & CEO of Villyge for a look at the latest trends, strategies and best practices for fostering a healthier and happier workforce and workplace. 

Episode Insights Include:

The growing emphasis behind employee well-being

• The pandemic provided valuable insights into who employees really are. 

• It also caused a cultural shift on DEI, allowing a greater place for it. 

• A shift in priorities has required employers to reconsider what they are offering their employees. 

• Work is no longer the number one priority for many employees, and employers need to meet their team where they are at in order to attract top talent. 

Overcoming the challenges of implementing well-being initiatives

• Identifying who well-being programs are most effectively going to serve is one of the greatest problems facing many employers. 

• Well-being initiatives need to offer programs that make financial sense as well. 

• Villyge aims to serve everybody by offering greater bandwidth from the foundation and add on additional layers from there. 

Benefits to making employee well-being a priority

• Employee longevity is positively affected – retention is up when employees feel supported through life transitions and challenges at work. 

• Managers who are able to better support employees have happier employees and keep their team in place longer.

• Employees who feel like part of a community are more confident to raise their hand and contribute to the team. 

• A supportive culture will become ripe for cultivating new ideas. 

• A manager can have a greater impact on a person's happiness than their therapist, doctor or life partner.

The role of leaders in promoting and sustaining a positive well-being culture

• Leaders need to model the compassionate side of human-to-human interactions.

• Productivity cannot be the only factor in employee-employer relationships.

• Leaders need to make it a point to show that they care about what is going on in their employee's lives. 

• Leaders can make note of life events in their calendar and check back in. 

• Empathy is the power tool in demonstrating meaningful leadership compassion and interaction. 

Adapting well-being strategies to current events

• World events are just as impactful as life events for employees. 

• While essential, employee support systems for childcare, healthcare, and mental health alone is not enough. 

• There has to be support for a healthy workplace culture. 

• Wellbeing initiatives are not going anywhere, and continue to be refined as companies continue to learn and grow. 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

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"After the pandemic, work is no longer the number one priority for many employees." — Debi Yadegari

"Trying to dissect who these programs are going to serve is one of the greatest problems we hear about." — Debi Yadegari

"Employees can step in and make a difference during those moments of life shifts, and it will have a tremendous impact on the longevity of an employee's career." — Debi Yadegari

"When employees feel like part of a community, they are more confident to raise their hand and share their ideas and thoughts." — Debi Yadegari

"What companies really need is support for the culture." — Debi Yadegari