Leadership, coaching and wellbeing initiatives are key
Three out of four employees value regular performance feedback
Employees are looking to their employers to support them. They continue to value feedback, career development pathways and opportunities for personal growth in their work. They are increasingly looking to their employers to support them in a diverse range of ways, spanning all aspects of work.
We found that when employees are looking for a new job, career development opportunities rate highly. In fact, employees say the following are important when considering change:
- 75% value regular performance feedback and performance development reviews
- 73% value a career development strategy that is linked to a recognition and rewards programme
- 68% are looking for learning to support leaders to manage diverse teams, including mental health and wellbeing training
- 63% want regular wellbeing check-ins
- 62% seek programmes to support diverse, innovative, and creative thinking in the workplace.
Wellbeing initiatives and inclusivity are increasingly important
As awareness around mental health increases, and as our workforce continues to diversify, employees are placing increasing importance on wellbeing and inclusivity initiatives.
These changes are reflected in our findings, which found the majority of employees are looking at these areas when considering change.
For example, when looking for a new job:
- 72% are looking for wellbeing initiatives and subsidies
- 69% are seeking programmes that enable all staff to actively participate in the workplace
- 60% say offering EAP support is important
- 57% are wanting mental health awareness training and mental health first aid
- 39% support recruitment strategies that are actively aiming to increase diversity in the workplace.
We found that those most likely to leave their current workplace are those who are dissatisfied with their work (54%) who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community (40%) and those who work in businesses that are reactive to wellbeing (31%).
There are areas for improvement
The two biggest areas that employees say their workplace is not managing well is addressing the reasons why people leave (45%) and supporting those who are struggling in leadership positions (35%).
Only one third (31%) say their workplace effectively addresses bullying and harassment very well, and only around one in four (28%) say their workplace does very well at recognising employees who go above and beyond.
Pleasingly, 84% of workplaces say they will be investing in at least one strategic HR initiative in the next year, and 70% said they will be investing in a wellbeing initiative. Top of the list are:
- Regular performance and development feedback from managers (58%)
- Business continuity and succession planning (55%)
- Workplace wellbeing check-ins (45%)
- Recognition and reward programmes (44%)
- Having a wellbeing strategy and policy (44%)
- Learning to support leaders to manage diverse teams (41%)
What can you do?
When looking at how you can improve leadership, coaching, career development and wellbeing within your organisation, consider some the following:
- Ensure your team leaders and managers have been provided adequate support and training to support them in their roles in managing diverse teams
- Use your performance management processes to identify development needs and areas for improvement
- Create career plans for your team and offer training opportunities to staff to support their career aspirations
- Integrate wellbeing into leadership practices, including introducing wellbeing discussions into leadership meetings and decision-making processes
- Introduce wellbeing check-ins with your team
Practical Solutions and Resources
Training courses
The Ultimate Team Leader
The programme is delivered in a highly interactive one-day-a-month format to reduce the pressure of managing your workload amongst training.
It also means you can leave each module with a set of new skills that can be practiced in your organisation before the next module.
It is the perfect investment for any team leader wanting to build and lead powerful teams within their organisation.
Learn how to:
- Lead your team to achieve organisational objectives.
- Adapt your leadership behaviour to suit different situations.
- Resolve poor performance and misconduct issues while complying with disciplinary policies.
- Use time more productively and delegate simpler tasks to others.
- Coach others effectively.
- Resolve and manage conflict, building positive workplace relationships.
- Set performance goals and motivate others to achieve them.
Coaching Essentials for Managers
This two-day course provides a comprehensive foundation for managers to integrate coaching principles into their leadership approach. You will leave with a solid understanding of coaching fundamentals and the confidence to apply these skills in your managerial roles, fostering a culture of growth, development, and enhanced team performance within your organisation.
- Define the key competencies of coaching.
- Understand the principles and process of effective coaching.
- Lead and manage through effective coaching.
- Offer opportunities for hands-on practice through role-playing and real-world scenarios.
eLearning modules
Communication Bundle
To help with business and team communication, this bundle offers a range of learning opportunities:
- Communication in a Crisis
- Be given the tools to create your own crisis communication plan.
- Communication at Work
- Communicate up and down the business with the stakeholders and staff to get your message across faster.
- Courageous Conversations
- Be able to recognise when a courageous conversation is required, and how to effectively plan and execute it.
Building Positive Relationships
This module has been created for a leadership team, or an individual, so they have everything they need in one place to create a working environment that is inclusive and welcoming, as well as productive.
After, you’ll be able to:
- Understand how building positive relationships with your team will impact positively on business productivity.
- Create and build strong and supportive working environments for your team.
Webinar
The Workplace Revolution: Developing a kick-ass workforce
In this webinar we’ll lift the lid on workforce development, making the case for investing in your staff to meet the needs of our increasingly diversified workforce.
- Jackie Lai, Leadership and Ownership Programme Lead, Foodstuffs
- Nick Sheppard, Head of Learning, EMA
24 September, 11am, online.