Employee well-being initiatives cannot be * one-size-fits-all

Today, well-being has become an expected component of rewards and benefits. But it is not always implemented or received in a way that bears out its potential impact. How can organisations be in sync with employee sentiments and provide them with initiatives that are both relevant and impactful?

- asmaani kumar

Meiyea Neo is the Senior Director, People Partner at Zendesk APAC. She has over 20 years of HR experience, largely in technology and consulting. Her experience lies in business partnering, coaching, leadership, talent and organisational development, as well as change management. At Zendesk, Meiyea is tasked with evolving the employee experience at Zendesk’s offices across the rapidly growing region. In an exclusive conversation with People Matters, she shares her expert insights on designing wellness frameworks, keeping a pulse on evolving employee needs, the critical role of leadership in championing wellness initiatives and more.

As employee wellness and well-being become a critical facet of any peoplecentric organisation, what key areas do leaders need to prioritise when designing wellness and benefits frameworks?

We have learnt over the past 2.5 years that treating employees with empathy and seeing them as a whole person—not just a coworker—is an imperative. The COVID years definitely accelerated the need for a stronger focus on mental health and well-being in the workplace. People managers and leaders need to identify what matters most to their employees, what they care about and why. At a time when employee retention is a challenge, it’s important for leaders to pay attention to the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of their employees as more express concerns with digital burnout. Keeping in touch with employees’ sentiments and their needs must therefore be followed through with action.