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Across industries, many businesses are currently experiencing retention issues. One key way companies and department leaders can address this challenge is by nurturing their employees' holistic well-being. Doing so can help promote overall job satisfaction, thereby encouraging employees to stick around longer.
Below, 20 Forbes Human Resources Council members share strategies leaders can use to drive employee retention and create an engaged, loyal workforce. Read on to discover comprehensive wellness strategies you can integrate into your business.
1. Understand Employees As Whole Beings
Leaders unlock potential by seeing employees as whole beings—understanding their motivations, recognition needs and communication styles fosters trust, the foundation for growth. By nurturing this understanding, companies don't just retain talent; they multiply it, enabling individuals to dig deep, grow and ultimately thrive. - Karina Bernacki, VSCO
2. Implement Holistic Well-Being Initiatives
With growing recognition that employees need whole-person support at work, holistic well-being initiatives can provide organizations with a comprehensive plan for improving the physical, mental, financial, social, occupational and purpose-driven well-being of their employees. A holistic focus improves workplace culture, increases engagement, enhances productivity and, ultimately, drives retention. - Neepa Patel, WellRight
3. Ask Holistic Questions
A successful approach to "seeing" the employee is incorporating holistic questions in conversations. Ask team members about their hobbies, prior experiences and leadership roles outside of work. Discovering associates' talents provides information on their hidden talents, which may benefit the organization. This benefit can drive career development and increase retention rates. - Rosie Dominic, Century Martial Arts
4. Develop A 'People-First' Culture
When leaders develop a culture that puts their people first, I’ve found that retention, performance and engagement all improve. Boosting retention comes down to regarding all aspects of the employee experience and having the infrastructure in place in your organization to ensure that employees can develop and bring their best selves to both their professional and personal lives. - Jamie Aitken, Betterworks
5. Model Self-Care
I've said, "We are 'whole selves,' not work selves and home selves. If something hard is going on, I’d love to know so I can support you." We have to model self-care. "If you're working late hours or on a weekend, my first assumption will be that something is wrong. I won't be impressed." We can model ways of how we frame adversity, the stories we tell ourselves and how to find opportunity in challenges. - Robyn Arville, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
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6. Focus On Financial And Emotional Initiatives
There are multiple well-being initiatives an organization can drive to retain its employees—physical, emotional, social, financial and occupational well-being. All are important, and I suggest the top two from my experiences: financial and mental (emotional) well-being. Being prudent in your financial planning and mental health will lead you to physical, social and other well-being. - Kannan Raghavan, Kemin Industries
7. Demonstrate A Healthy Work-Life Balance
Retention is often easy to achieve if you have happy employees, and it isn't always compensation-driven. Employees are looking for a realistic work-life balance, looking for their leaders to lead by example. Take your PTO to recharge; go for a walk during lunch to get some fresh air. Leaders can send a message simply by talking about how important well-being is and encouraging it with employees. - Heather Smith, Flimp Communications
8. Provide Evidence-Based Research
Change begins at the top. Leadership has to be all-in to support building a culture of health and well-being. To help your organization accept this, use proven case studies showing that healthy, engaged employees are three times less likely to change jobs than their counterparts. Offer your employees what they need to be productive with your own app for well-being. - Dinesh Sheth, Green Circle Life
9. Create An Environment Of Support
Leaders can boost retention by prioritizing holistic well-being. Offer flexible work, wellness programs and resources like counseling. Creating a supportive environment fosters loyalty and reduces turnover. - William Stonehouse, Crawford Thomas Recruiting
10. Check In With Your Employees
Showing employees you value and care about them is key. I recommend weekly or biweekly one-on-ones with each of your direct reports to find out how they are doing on a deeper level. Comprehensive benefits like on-site well-being advisors and employee resource groups can help the whole person navigate work and life. Ensuring your employees feel supported enhances long-term belonging and retention. - Jennifer Kraszewski, Paycom
11. Ask How Employees Are Doing
“How are you doing?” is an underestimated workplace question. We often toss it out offhandedly. Ask it with intent and a true willingness to listen, and employees notice. You can offer mental wellness programs, but some people still won’t benefit. However, if you show authentic interest in how they’re doing, chances are, that moment will loom large the day a competitor tries to lure them away. - Graham Glass, CYPHER Learning
12. Be Honest About Your Own Journey
Model the way. Share your own stories when your well-being journey is going well and share when you are struggling. Show what it looks like to get help and support from others. Talking about shared experiences can be beneficial to everyone when done in the right ways. - Paaras Parker, Paycor
13. Provide Resources For Managing Workloads
In a survey of 10,000-plus workers across the United States, we found that only 56% have enough energy after work to do what they want to do. It's important for leaders to talk with their teams about how they are managing their workload and the resources they have available to get their work done. Stressors may differ between organizations, but these are key areas that can significantly improve well-being. - Sanja Licina, QuestionPro
14. Understand Employees' Unique Journeys And Support Them Accordingly
Leaders must recognize that well-being encompasses a sense of purpose, fulfillment and alignment with personal values. Instead of solely offering resources or programs, they should become attuned to the individual needs and aspirations of employees, providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions, develop new skills and advance their careers within the organization to drive retention. - Katrina Jones, Acacia Network
15. Create A Strategic Plan
By developing a custom-built talent strategy for the organization. Too often, we apply a blanket approach with all the tactics we've learned without thinking critically about which tactics work best. This can make some employees feel their well-being isn't the priority. Instead, take employees' input and apply the right tools and flexibilities for the job. Don't tell them they matter; show them. - Nicky Hancock, AMS
16. Provide A Combination Of Well-Being Offerings
Employees are asking themselves more and more whether their employers truly care about them, and one great way to demonstrate you care about your team is to embrace holistic wellness in the workforce. Often, that will include a combination of robust health insurance options, ample PTO, wellness initiatives and a culture of work-life balance. When workers feel supported, they are more likely to stay. - Niki Jorgensen, Insperity
17. Offer Flexible Work Schedules
Implement flexible work schedules. Doing so allows employees to manage their personal and professional responsibilities more effectively. - Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
18. Be Open, Create Solutions Together And Be Realistic
Start by engaging in open dialogue. For example, have transparent conversations with team members about their well-being needs and identify areas for support. Next, co-create solutions with them by working collaboratively to develop personalized plans, outlining what the company can offer and clarifying limitations. Then, be sure to maintain realistic expectations. Avoid over-promising to build trust and prevent "well-being washing." - Michael D. Brown, Global Recruiters of Buckhead
19. Create A Culture That Protects Well-Being And Happiness
We often forget that life outside of work is also work. Focusing on holistic well-being encourages employees to build sustainable lives and careers, meaning they prioritize work-life integration and personal well-being so they don’t burn out. That’s a long-game strategy for retention—creating a culture that allows people to protect their well-being and happiness. Why would anyone want to leave? - Ursula Mead, InHerSight
20. Offer Enough Flexibility And Time Off For Employees To Take Care Of Themselves
The key to holistic well-being is work-life balance and a supportive company culture. To retain employees, companies must provide a flexible work schedule and ample PTO necessary to allow workers to care for themselves, both physically and mentally. Additionally, the company culture must prioritize people over profits; otherwise, employees will leave to join competitors whose cultures do. - John Feldmann, Insperity
