How to Partner with the C-Suite on Employee Wellness Initiatives
If someone asked me the question: “How has the pandemic influenced the need for employee wellness initiatives in your organization?”, I would tell them that I’ve not only recognized how important this is, but also that it’s caused me to bring more ideas to our C-Suite on how to support our people with these initiatives. As an HR Leader, promoting the wellness of people is a natural part of the job. What isn’t so natural, however, is proving the business case to C-Suite executives on why the organization should invest in employee wellness.
As I’ve had to approach our executive team in 2020 more frequently with innovative ideas on wellness initiatives, I’ve had to be mindful of how I frame up the conversation and “sell” these ideas to our C-Suite. And if you’re like me, you understand that taking off your “HR” hat and engaging your “business” mindset can be a challenge when preparing for these meetings.
As I’ve honed my skills in this area over the years, I’ve learned how to effectively align with the C-Suite and be the voice for our people in this regard. If you find yourself in an HR Leader role needing to implement wellness initiatives, here are four things that are essential to success:
A Pre-Requisite: Understand the Organization
As a pre-requisite to approaching the C-Suite with any new idea, it is imperative that you understand the business and develop your organizational acumen. As you do this, here are the four questions you need to have full answers to:
Business Model: What does our organization do?
Operations: How does our organization work?
Competitive Landscape: What is happening in this industry?
Organizational Strategy: Where is our organization headed?
Speak Their Language
With an unstable economy, performance targets are top of mind to keep the business moving forward. This means that it’s more important than ever to work with the C-Suite on employee wellness and articulate why it would be in the best interest of the organization. When you are framing up the need for an employee wellness initiative to an executive, it is important to speak their language, inserting the following into the conversation where appropriate:
How it will support strategic objectives
Why it can improve organizational performance
The potential impact on sales and revenue
By having a thorough understanding of the business before you walk into a conversation with an executive, you will more easily be able to align with them and create a connection.
Justify the Business Case
As you are demonstrating your understanding of the organization and speaking in a language that the executive will align with, it’s time to justify your business case. This where you can start pulling in data both from the people side and the business side. For example, here is a statement you could use if you were trying to pull together a campaign for people to take more PTO time so they can focus on their mental health:
We’re seeing an X % increase in PTO balances across the organization and we’ve also seen a X % decrease in our revenue during X period. In addition, we’ve also had an X % increase in mental health insurance claims, which also may impact our health plan rates as an organization. This is a sign that our people may be experiencing burnout and need extra encouragement to take PTO. If we can encourage people to take time off, we may see employee mental health improve, which may in turn impact productivity and assist in achieving revenue targets.
By using real data and connecting the dots for the executives, you may find that you’ll have a better chance of success in gaining their buy-in, or a willingness to hear more at the very minimum.
Package the Proposal
Finally, a critical piece of gaining buy-in is to develop a brief written proposal, packaging everything together in a concise manner so that the same information can be distributed to multiple leaders for awareness and buy-in. In this document, you’ll want to include the following:
Executive Summary: A one paragraph summary outlining the recommendation
Rationale: A one paragraph summary outlining the “why” behind the recommendation
Cost: What direct financial costs would need to be considered
Communication Plan: What communication elements would be required and, if possible, drafts of these communications.
By taking these steps, you’ll not only increase your chances of implementing wellness initiatives, but also build collaborative relationships with the C-Suite in the process.
