The good news? Companies are finally taking employee well-being seriously. Today, more than half say well-being is a top priority. The bad news? Almost 60% of employees say they are struggling. And less than a quarter of them strongly agree that their employers care about their well-being.
If your company has a goal to improve employee well-being in 2025, those stats might be discouraging to read. There’s no single, magical solution to this crisis. But as an executive coach and creator of a learning platform, I believe there are two factors in employee well-being that tend to get overlooked: meaning and purpose.
In turbulent times like the ones we’re experiencing, having a sense of meaning and purpose can carry us through difficulties and obstacles. So how can you create an environment where employees feel this way? Here are some strategies I’ve seen companies successfully use.
1. Get to know them.
Meaning and purpose are deeply personal things. What lights you up at work might not be what resonates with your team members. That’s why it’s important to talk regularly with them about what they’re passionate about.
Maybe you can find a meaningful project that can excite them. Since many of us are working remotely, you may have to be more deliberate about planning these conversations instead of waiting for them to spontaneously happen in the hallway or break room.
2. Bring the big picture into focus.
We all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. You may understand exactly how important your employee’s particular talents are to your company’s mission, but they may have lost sight of this themselves, especially if your organization has gone through rapid change recently.
When you give feedback, remember to make these big-picture connections for your employees. Here’s an example of what that might sound like: “Because you are so great at identifying potential obstacles and how to overcome them, we were able to launch our mentorship program for new employees early.”
3. Help them focus.
How much energy do you feel when you’re using your skills and gifts on a project you really care about? And how does that compare to your energy levels when you’re at a purposeless meeting or working your way through your email?
I always advise my clients to figure out their “Big 3”: the top 3 areas where they should focus to have the biggest impact on the business, given their role and strengths. This is a great conversation to have with your team members. After you help them identify their Big 3, see if their calendar actually reflects these priorities.
4. Provide opportunities to serve others.
Research backs up what we all intuitively know: Helping other people makes us feel good, mentally and physically. If you have a volunteer program at your workplace, you’ve probably seen this firsthand. But doing something that benefits your colleagues has the same positive effects. (It also helps build relationships across the organization.)
If you don’t have a mentoring or peer coaching program, consider starting one. The employees who teach or advise will get as much from the program as the colleagues who receive their wisdom.
5. Create learning opportunities.
We all love the feeling of making progress or moving forward. Perhaps that’s why employees so deeply value learning and development. Learning programs are a huge factor in employee retention. It’s especially important to note that Gen-Z, who are expected to become the largest contingent in the workforce, craves learning even more than older generations.
Next Steps
Creating an environment where employees find meaning and purpose isn't a "nice to have"—it's essential for their well-being. As you plan for 2025, consider these next steps:
Schedule one-on-ones focused on understanding what’s meaningful to each of your team members.
Talk with team members about whether their most important work has the most room on their calendar. If it doesn’t, help them find ways to reclaim some time.
Identify one opportunity each quarter for team members to mentor or teach others.
Review your learning and development offerings. Are they accessible and aligned with what truly matters to your employees?
When employees find purpose at work, everyone wins. They're more engaged and resilient. Your organization gets its best work. And you build the kind of workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent.
This article was originally published by Neena Newberry in Forbes.
