How to Create a Successful Wellbeing Strategy

Smeg Client Case Study

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The Challenge: Understanding Employee Needs to Shape a Workplace Wellbeing Programme

Smeg were keen to introduce an annual workplace wellbeing programme that would proactively support and improve employee wellbeing across the business.

In order to maximise the impact and return of any programme, Smeg wanted to first take the time to truly understand the needs of their people.

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Our Approach: Insight-Led Strategy and Tailored Programme

Smeg engaged our expertise in gathering the insight, crafting an effective workplace wellbeing strategy and implementing targeted solutions that were measured over time in order to continually evolve and improve the programme in both a proactive and reactive way.

We created and implemented an all staff wellbeing survey that was run yearly over a time period of 3 years. The questions aimed to identify areas where support was needed, uncover what the workforce were interested in focusing on, benchmark where employees were at with their wellbeing, and identify any organisational factors that may be influencing this.

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Our Strategy:

  1. We support our employees to thrive
    To build on self-perceived good levels of mental health and wellbeing and offer opportunities to further maximise this.

  2. We champion being healthy together
    To tackle a low motivation to exercise and a desire to come together as a business and connect socially.

  3. We’re open about mental health
    To address an underlying stigma and lack of confidence in talking about mental health at work.

Using the insights gathered we identified a number of key focus areas that would guide the programme:

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The Impact: Improved Wellbeing, Engagement, and Confidence Across the Workforce:

Subsequent interventions were designed around these 3 pillars:

  1. We support our employees to thrive
    Delivered through a programme of lunch and learn workshops and talks and regular drop in mindful and meditation sessions

    75% employees now feel their employer cares about their wellbeing, up from 55%.

    “An interesting and thought provoking session with useful tools to deal with stressful situations.”

  2. We champion being healthy together
    Delivered through group exercise classes and talks to motivate people to get moving.

    Following the programme, 75% felt happy with their physical health and motivated to take care of physical health, up from 45% and 50% respectively.

  3. We’re open about mental health
    Delivered through the roll out of mental health for managers training for all managers and senior leaders.

    Manager confidence rose from 50% to 80%

    79% of employees now feel that they could openly talk about mental health (up from 42%)

    “The best course I have attended, thought provoking, useful and its stayed with me”

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