Work cultures grounded in well-being – career, physical, mental, emotional and financial – outperform in every people metric: Recruitment, retention, absenteeism, employee net promoter scores, satisfaction, engagement. And engaged people deliver better business results: Transformation and change adoption, innovation, productivity, customer satisfaction, business reputation and sales. 

Beehive Strategic Communication’s “Creating a Culture of Well-being” event on May 21 brought together well-being experts and executive, human resources and communication leaders to discuss the why, what and how to advance cultures of well-being. Mark Mohammadpour, founder and chief well-being officer of Chasing the Sun, opened the event with a keynote presentation detailing the importance of well-being at work. Mark asked the audience how employees at their companies would answer the question, “Is my life better because I work here?” Prioritizing the five pillars of well-being — career, physical, mental, emotional and financial — is the path to creating cultures of well-being. Companies that put well-being at the forefront of their people strategies measure better people outcomes and better business results.  

The cost of replacing an employee is equivalent to 150% of their salary, according to Simply Benefits. Turnover impacts productivity, client relationships and recruitment costs. Focusing on well-being can boost employee acquisition and retention by 12% and can have a significant impact on an organization’s bottom line.  

Some of Mark’s key insights included:  

• Positive team experiences matter. Teams that collaborate, without rigid hierarchies, achieve better results. Foster environments where team members feel empowered to take initiative. Transparency and respect counter harmful gossip and build psychological safety. 
• Well-being needs vary from person to person. Support employees as whole individuals with diverse backgrounds and needs. Ensure employees feel valued and can be their authentic selves at work. Offer flexibility, autonomy, purpose and competitive compensation. 
• Employees and leaders need and thrive with clarity. As organizations continue to evolve their people practices and policies, clear communication is crucial for success at all levels and, ultimately, for the company. 

Mark moderated a C-suite panel focused on actions and results that are working in companies today. Panelists Erin Feigal of Prime Therapeutics, David Wheeler of International Dairy Queen and Lisa Hannum of Beehive Strategic Communication discussed the importance of developing cultures of well-being amidst persistent change, highlighting how clear communication, values alignment and consistency are foundational to success.  

Erin shared how Prime Therapeutics’ culture nourishes everything the organization and its employees do. She detailed how the organization starts and stops with culture and how it influences everything from the overall brand to their day-to-day interactions.   

David discussed how Dairy Queen approaches well-being as a journey. The company’s culture work addresses all the pillars of well-being, with a focus on implementing key practices and doing them well. “We really want our people to feel like they are part of something special.”  

Lisa talked about Beehive’s 15-year journey nurturing a culture of well-being. “When your people are the company’s product, their health and well-being are the foundation of the business.” Well-being is a core value at Beehive and the company has been recognized more than 30 times for its culture practices and results. Beehive averages 95% to 100% scores in people metrics including voluntary retention rates, eNPS scores and employee engagement and well-being.  

Panelists left the audience with tangible examples and action steps to put into practice, including guidance on employee surveys and check-ins, sharing and implementing employee feedback and effective communication in hybrid work environments. 

Event participants received a Culture of Well-being plan toolkit and will participate in a virtual “Writing your Culture of Well-being Strategic Plan” workshop in June. Mark Mohammadpour will lead participants through plan development, setting strategies, action steps and timelines to prioritize and advance culture work.