Many well-being studies have focused on assessing the well-being of individuals. But what about actionable solutions? How can organizations support the well-being of employees in ways that make a notable difference in helping people thrive? These were the questions posed by Vienna Morrill, head of BerryDunn’s Well-Being Consulting Practice, and the University of Maine Business School, which was interested in conducting research on this topic.
To get answers to these questions, UMaine and BerryDunn collaborated to design a survey to poll three distinct groups: university students, employees of small and mid-sized companies, and employees of large companies. Participants in these groups were asked to reflect on their perceptions of five common categories of well-being: financial, mental, physical, social, and vocational. Further, the participants were asked in an open-ended format about specific ways organizations could influence well-being.
The findings from the well-being survey
The findings on the multiple-choice portion of the survey found that the three groups polled had many similar perceptions on well-being with mental, financial, and physical consistently showing up as top selections for all three questions across all three groups.
The bottom line: Financial and mental well-being are top of mind for all three groups. While employees of large companies struggled less with financial well-being than the other groups, they still ranked it as among the most important types of well-being. All three groups ranked social well-being and vocational well-being as areas they struggled the least with, were less important, and less challenging than financial, mental, or physical well-being.
In the open-ended portion of the survey, when asked to suggest actions that organizations could take to influence well-being, three common themes emerged:
- Give us the time or money to improve our well-being
- From networking opportunities to assessing workloads and salaries to offering financial training, employees need support from their organizations in managing their well-being in all five areas.
- Give us more flexibility
- Employees are seeking flexibility in terms of their time, and their careers – looking for ways to work exercise into their days and exploring different career paths in their organizations.
- Help us learn how to manage well-being ourselves
- Participants said they wanted to learn how to manage their own well-being, but in an active and personalized way that helped them reach their individual well-being goals.
BerryDunn’s Well-Being Consulting Practice, led by Vienna Morrill, helps organizations implement strategies for helping employees and stakeholders be their best—both professionally and personally. Vienna combines over a decade of management consulting experience with a deep interest in human potential and well-being to help organizations achieve their business goals. She understands that well-being is not a one-size-fits-all equation. She works collaboratively with leaders, managers, and staff to develop practical action plans and navigate change that supports the people and the organization.
Learn more about BerryDunn’s Well-being Consulting Services.
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