Many employers expect employee engagement to become increasingly challenging, according to new research. The findings show that 37% of employers believe engagement levels will be harder to achieve, with businesses examining how to encourage employees to use existing health and wellbeing support.
The research, from Towergate Employee Benefits, notes several changes in workplace culture that have developed in recent years, including hybrid working patterns and the rise of virtual meetings. These changes are influencing the ways employees interact with their organisations and the level of engagement they feel within the workplace.
Towergate Employee Benefits reports that employers are now reviewing how health and wellbeing support is delivered and communicated. The study suggests that engagement with wellbeing support is closely tied to wider engagement with the organisation itself. The challenge for many employers is finding methods that prompt employees to use the benefits available to them and understand their value.
“New workplace dynamics, including hybrid working and virtual meetings, have come into play over the last few years and are making it increasingly difficult to engage employees,” said Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits. “Health and wellbeing support can be a virtuous circle – if employees engage in health and wellbeing, they feel more engaged with the company. The key is finding more creative and dynamic ways to encourage the use of benefits.”
Digital Approaches to Encouraging Support Uptake
The study finds that 34% of employers use digital platforms to help employees access health and wellbeing support. These platforms provide centralised information for HR teams, benefits professionals and employees, offering a single place to locate resources. Although useful, digital platforms depend on employees choosing to interact with them.
Company intranets are also used, with 26% of employers promoting wellbeing support through internal sites. This approach still relies on employees actively searching for information and is often combined with more proactive tactics. Written communication plays a key role, with 22% of employers using email updates and other written content to direct attention to available support. Many employers also work with benefits advisers and providers when communicating this information.
In-person engagement continues to be an important part of workplace wellbeing strategies. The research shows that 21% of employers run their own events that feature health and wellbeing specialists, while 18% ask advisers or providers to host sessions for staff. Clark notes that using provider expertise can give employees clearer insight into what support is available and how it can be used.
A further 24% of employers use Wellbeing Champions to promote resources and maintain visibility across teams. Other approaches mentioned in the study include wellbeing calendars used by 22% of employers, regular internal promotions used by 18% and webinars used by 16%.
Concerns Over Lack of Active Encouragement
Despite the range of methods being used, a significant number of employees still receive little prompting to access wellbeing support. The research reports that 33% of employers only direct staff to support when they ask for it, while 13% do not actively encourage use at all.
Clark said, “Employers who are either not encouraging the use of health and wellbeing support at all, or who are relying on employees making the effort themselves to investigate the support offered, are missing out hugely.
“Health and wellbeing support is of course put in place to ensure that employees are healthy and happy, but this is not entirely altruistic. There are advantages for the business too, including increased loyalty, less absenteeism, greater productivity – but only if employees engage with the support and use it. Otherwise employers may well be wasting their money.”