The Workplace Word: The Focus on D&I, Career Development and Mental Health Programs

Every month, we’re highlighting stories, trends and tips related to employee engagement and workplace culture that organizations should be keeping top-of-mind in order to engage, retain and recruit top talent.

1. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are more important than ever. According to a Quantum Workplace report, 67% of job seekers say a diverse workforce is imperative when considering employment offers. And, employees who believe their company is doing well in the areas of D&I tend to be more engaged than those who don’t think they’re doing well. Key takeaway: D&I needs to be top-of-mind for companies, but it’s critical to get it right from the start. Many companies struggle with how to address this concept in a meaningful way. While it may seem like common sense, the first step is making sure people understand the difference between diversity and inclusion, which are closely related but different concepts. Verna Myers, VP of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, described it as, “diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” The Quantum Workplace report above provides more detail on defining D&I and best practices for making it a priority at your company.

2. Subway hops on the career development train. A few months ago I highlighted how Amazon was launching a new training program aimed at helping employees enhance their job skills and career opportunities – and Subway is the latest employer to follow this trend. The company recently announced that it’s piloting a career readiness program for employees in Central Florida. The program will help employees develop workplace skills while advancing their education through an online career readiness boot camp and high school program offered through Penn Foster. Key takeaway: Companies like Amazon, Subway and others have realized that they need to do more to engage their hourly workers – and giving them the opportunity to expand their skills and improve their career paths is quickly becoming a popular tactic. While it’s too soon to tell how these new programs will impact retention, it’s certainly a helpful recruiting tool.

3. Well-being programs are addressing mental health, too. While we all aspire to have a healthy work-life balance and minimize stress, sometimes it’s a struggle to live up to that goal. Employee burnout has a direct impact on business performance: stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking, and dulls creative abilities. To combat this issue, many companies are enhancing their employee well-being programs to include benefits that not only address physical health, but mental health as well. Key takeaway: For a while, company wellness programs have focused largely on healthy eating or getting more steps in your day – but employees facing burnout need more than this. By helping them reduce stress and improve their mental well-being, companies can improve productivity, increase engagement and reduce turnover. This Harvard Business Review article provides a more in depth look at this topic and strategies to address it.

What are some trends that you’re seeing in the workplace? We’d love to share them in a future post! Check back next month for more.

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