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Well-being and Workforce Strategy

Harnessing the Power of Managers in Your Well-being Strategy

Managers can be vital allies who elevate overall employee well-being. Leading employers are empowering managers to support employee well-being while not neglecting their own needs.

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September 26, 2024


It’s well known that managers influence outcomes important to the business, including employee productivity, engagement and job satisfaction. But beyond this, managers are also critical to the health and well-being (and well-being engagement) of the workforce. While much conversation has been focused on the role of managers in supporting employee mental health, there is potential to engage them more broadly. In fact, according to one recent survey, 94% of employees think that their manager should have at least some responsibility for their well-being.1

The good news is that managers agree, but there is a downside.1 Thirty-two percent of employees express the feeling that their manager doesn’t care about their well-being, indicating a need to close the gap between how managers show support for well-being today and where they want to be the future.1

Leading employers are considering how to leverage managers to advance workforce health and well-being. Because the demand for managers’ time, effort and attention is higher than ever (61% of managers report that they have more responsibility at work than in pre-pandemic times), organizations must think creatively about how to engage managers in health and well-being efforts.2 This resource provides suggestions about how employers can involve managers in the promotion of workforce health and well-being, including training, communications, behavior modeling and performance and accountability. It also provides ideas on how employers can encourage managers to prioritize their own well-being.

Train Managers About Their Role in Supporting Health and Well-being

As employers seek to support workforce mental health, manager training has become a common way to reduce stigma, promote available benefits and resources and help employees access care faster. To illustrate, according to the 15th Annual Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-being Survey, 48% of global respondents indicated that they offer manager training for mental health in all/most countries.3 Research shows that implementing this type of manager training may be beneficial, as an analysis by the World Health Organization found it can have a positive effect on managers’ knowledge of mental health issues and may reduce stigma in the workplace.

Training managers about the broader importance of well-being and how they can support it can be a critical first step in helping them demonstrate organizational care, defined as “employers’ genuine demonstration of interest in employees’ overall well-being.”4 This training may prove beneficial in equipping managers with the skills they need: In a study where managers were given well-being-based work training, 80% stated they would feel confident relaying this information to their employees.5

Ideas for Action

For employers interested in offering formal or informal training to managers on their role in supporting workforce health and well-being, consider the following:

  • Integrating well-being information into existing training(s): Weaving health and well-being information into other training(s) reinforces the importance of well-being in every aspect of company operations and in achieving organizational objectives – moving well-being from “just another thing” managers must address to driving business performance. This tactic also creates efficiencies, an important consideration for employers interested in scaling well-being information across the organization and fitting it into managers’ busy schedules. To do this, one company added health and well-being training to its broader on-demand training modules required for newly minted or promoted managers. Also, Walmart’s ”Manager Academy” training, which has been profiled in The New York Times, gathers 50 managers at a time (around 2,000 a year) at one central location to give an in-depth overview of their responsibilities and impact, including the importance of showing empathy to employees and that organizational success depends on managers caring for associates.6 Managers are also educated on the benefits and resources available to employees.
  • Providing informational resources for managers to reference throughout the year: As an adjunct to training, written information/resources designed specifically for managers can do numerous things: educate them on the importance of well-being, including its impact on health, productivity, performance and business success; minimize gaps in their knowledge about the benefits and resources available; provide ideas on how to support employee well-being; and serve as a resource on navigating conversations and scenarios related to well-being.13 Employers have equipped managers with resources by creating health and well-being guidebooks or toolkits, which have included real-life examples of how the company and its managers improved well-being initiatives, and providing action plans to address well-being needs.
  • Creating clear guidelines for what managers can and cannot discuss: While managers can lead employees to health and well-being resources, model healthy behaviors and create a healthy workplace culture that enables employees to thrive, companies must also establish clear boundaries for manager behavior and action. It is crucial that managers act as a pathway, not an end goal, for well-being in a company. This should be conveyed during training and reiterated in written resources.

Encourage Manager to Put on Their Own Lifejackets First When it Comes to Well-being

While managers play an important role in creating a culture of health and well-being, their own well-being must also be prioritized. In fact, the recommendations included in this resource will be less effective without this key step. Several surveys indicate that managers experience higher rates of burnout than other employees, and almost 80% say that they’re facing issues in their personal lives that limit their capacity for extending proper empathy to their employees .4, 7, 8 Being a manager clearly takes a toll. Therefore, it’s not surprising that managers indicate that their role isn’t worth sacrificing their own well-being. In fact, a 2023 workforce survey noted that nearly two-thirds of managers (64%) are contemplating changing jobs in search of better well-being.1 Thus, prioritizing manager well-being is of the utmost importance because as one Business Group member points out, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Ideas for Action

For employers looking to protect the well-being of their managers, consider the following:

  • Establish reasonable expectations for managers: While managers are an important element of an overall culture of health, organizational expectations should reinforce that they are not solely responsible for employee health and well-being. Many employers instill this into managers by emphasizing the importance of referring employees to company-provided mental health services. Others remind their leaders throughout training that while they should lead with empathy, it’s also not the expectation that they solve all of their employees’ problems .9 Realistic expectations should be built into any training sessions or resources offered to managers.
  • Incorporate the importance of manager well-being into training: Managers may require a different set of health and well-being resources based on their daily tasks and role, creating the need for tools unique to this population. One company prioritizes the health and well-being of their managers with an internal website for leaders that provides access to mental health and crisis resources, including how they can help themselves in stressful moments. Employers can also help managers with mental health struggles in their daily lives by distributing resources as simple as tip sheets. These tip sheets can include suggestions on how to prioritize well-being through various activities.
  • Engage in a two-way conversation with managers about health and well-being: Because of managers’ proximity to employees, they may have insights into the policies, programs and benefits that can influence employee health and well-being for the better or worse. Engaging in conversations with managers about these insights, including what may impede their own well-being, can demonstrate organizational care for managers and has the potential to improve company culture overall.

Model Behavior for Employees

Employers can advance organizational health and well-being by empowering managers to model positive health and well-being traits for their team. This is a prime opportunity that is currently not being done. Only 30% of managers indicate that they model healthy behaviors, and even fewer lead their team in well-being activities and challenges.1And without manager modeling, Gallup asserts that well-being initiatives will never fully reach their potential.10 To bolster these numbers, employers can provide targeted support to managers.

Ideas for Action

For employers looking to model well-being behavior, consider the following:

  • Work with managers to identify how well-being initiatives can be integrated into the workday without impacting productivity/workloads: To create a healthy workplace culture, well-being initiatives should take place in conjunction with daily work activities, such as conducting stretch breaks during shifts, short bursts of activity, moving/walking meetings or meditations during team meetings. This is particularly important because less than half of employees say they always or often move/exercise each day (48%) or take microbreaks during the workday.1 Based on their knowledge of daily workflow and employee needs, managers may have insights or ideas into how people can step away from their computers or conference rooms to seamlessly integrate well-being initiatives into their day without impacting productivity.
  • Offer quick tips on promoting well-being: Providing managers with ideas on small ways to promote well-being can provide needed inspiration, especially for managers who previously haven’t incorporated health and well-being conversations or activities into their daily work. Employers have done this by creating quick tip documents, showcasing best practices from high-performing managers, developing lists of activities and curating videos showcasing recommendations for how managers can exemplify well-being strategies for both office and floor workers. Tips may also focus on how managers can approach employees during specific life stages; for example, one employer has created a resource on how to approach and assist employees who are grieving. Others have done so to welcome new parents back to work.
  • Encourage managers to share their own stories through testimonials: Sharing personal stories can further build a relationship of trust between managers and employees, allowing for more in-depth conversations about health and well-being. For example, some employers have done this by having their managers meet with employees on a routine basis to share how they incorporated the company’s well-being initiatives into their own lives. This can inspire employees to do the same and help the company reach their well-being goals.
  • Ask managers to hold time and space to connect with employees about well-being: Since employees can have varying schedules and priorities, managers can establish dedicated time or opportunities for employees to discuss top-of-mind topics, including those related to health and well-being. Designating part of the time during performance assessments to discuss the well-being of employees is one way some employers have earmarked time for well-being conversations. Other ideas include empowering managers to plan well-being events, whether formal or informal, to address top-of-mind topics for their teams.

Tap into Managers as a Key Communication Channel

Managers are often the first line of contact with employees, making them crucial messengers of organizational information and initiatives. There also is research to demonstrate that strong manager communication can be a way for companies to influence employee perceptions of organizational care. According to one expert cited in The New York Times, “The big insight here is that employees feeling cared for is directly tied to communication. And the folks who communicate the most with the front line are their supervisors. That’s why frontline supervisors are so critical, because if they’re communicating effectively then the work force feels cared for.”6 Furthermore, many employees want to hear from their manager about health and well-being benefits specifically, with 38% indicating that their preference is to have a discussion with their manager instead of using other methods, such as email correspondence or an internal website/portal.4 This helps explain why 62% of organizations already use managers to relay health and well-being information and build team connectedness.3

Ideas for Action

For employers looking to enhance manager communication about well-being, consider the following:

  • Provide managers with information and talking points: Arming managers with information about companywide, regional or local health and well-being initiatives is a crucial first step in having them serve as effective messengers. One employer has found a creative way to get this type of information into the hands of managers: commercials, 30-second messages that focus on key topics leaders should know about and relay to employees that can be shown during manager meetings.

    Beyond providing key information, creating a flexible platform for managers to speak with employees about these topics is pivotal, as it can create a starting point to spark conversation, offer a helpful reference when common subjects arise in the workplace, prevent managers from straying too far from main topics and promote culturally aligned messaging (especially if/when managers are in different countries or regions from their teams). Talking points can be particularly helpful during critical periods, such as benefits enrollment and other major health and well-being campaigns, so that managers are prepared with answers to employee questions. To guide managers on what to focus on, consolidate the most important information (e.g., enrollment deadlines, cost increases, and plan changes) into a few specific points.
  • Partner with other stakeholders for cohesive messaging: Collaborating and coordinating across the organization can create consistency in communication throughout the company. According to a survey, when assessing employees who have high rates of well-being in the workplace, 72% of those people also felt they received strong support from their organization.10

Set Expectations, Track Performance and Establish Accountability

As well-being has moved from a “nice to have” to a best practice for organizations, some companies are setting expectations for managers when it comes to promoting health and well-being; tracking the performance of managers based on these expectations; and holding them accountable for their contributions to creating a culture of well-being.

Ideas for Action

For employers looking to hold managers accountable for promoting health and well-being, consider the following:

  • Recognize managers for their efforts: In the shuffle of daily operations, manager efforts to support employee health and well-being can get lost. It is imperative that managers are acknowledged for their contributions to a positive organizational culture, which can also be a way to reduce feelings of burnout. A notable way to express thanks is to use results from engagement surveys to highlight those managers who reached or exceeded well-being goals in a manner consistent with how the organization might celebrate other company goals related to sales, productivity and other business metrics.
  • Develop specific expectations of managers: As mentioned earlier, clearly delineating manager responsibilities for employee well-being within the context of the overall organizational strategy is vital to setting managers and employees up for success. Expectations should be realistic, specific and include what managers are and are not expected to do and discuss with employees. Training, written information and resources and check-ins with managers are all pathways to continuously setting and reinforcing expectations.
  • Taking advantage of company survey data: Employee well-being needs are evolving, and survey data can be a helpful tool to clue managers into these needs and develop action plans based on the results – something some companies do after their workforce engagement survey. Arming managers with survey data and action plans also provides them with the opportunity to demonstrate to employees that feedback matters and is incorporated into continuous improvement efforts. Workforce surveys can also be a way to evaluate how the company is doing when it comes to organizational and manager support of well-being, offering insight into performance and providing a continuous feedback loop.
  • Incorporating expectations of managers into performance standards: Employers have options about how to address expectations and are doing so in a variety of ways. For example, one employer is using its own well-being index to hold managers accountable; if they score high enough based on input from peers and direct reports, they are eligible for rewards, but if not, they may be required to undergo 1:1 training. Another has integrated well-being content into quarterly manager development meetings, during which managers provide examples of how they upheld the organizational core values, including well-being, which helps gauge performance and provides the opportunity for feedback. And yet another asks leaders to create a well-being goal for themselves and for how they will take care of their teams, which is then evaluated based on a biannual survey that asks employees how the company and their leader are supporting their well-being.

Conclusion

When managers apply the above strategies, not only do they improve employee well-being but also increase the likelihood that the company will succeed. Managers have the power to be a sturdy bridge between leadership and the staff, allowing for better business outcomes while also prioritizing their own health.

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