How do company culture and employer health and well-being practices affect employee engagement and turnover? Do employees feel supported by the culture in the workplace?

Those are some of the questions the Health Enhancement Research Organization seeks to answer in the HERO Scorecard Engagement and Retention Study, launched in collaboration with Mercer. The study will review data collected from the HERO Health and Well-Being Best Practices Scorecard for HERO scorecard completers between 2014 and 2017. Six domain scores serve as predictors of outcomes related to retention rates and perceived organizational support.

According to Jessica Grossmeier, Ph.D., vice president of research for HERO, past studies have demonstrated a correlation between companies that perform well on the scorecard and those that demonstrate strong financial performance, as well as a connection between best practices and health care costs. More recent analyses conducted by Mercer identified a relationship between HERO scorecard scores and employer-reported turnover rates.

Some of the best practice areas defined in the scorecard, the impact of which may be measured in the study, include a company mission/vision statement that supports a healthy workplace culture; senior leaders who emphasize the value and importance of health; policies that support employee health and well-being; a built environment that supports well-being; senior leaders who support well-being; employee involvement in decisions about well-being program content; use of wellness champion networks to support well-being programs; and support for middle managers and supervisors in attempts to improve well-being.

“For several years now, employers have been chasing what we call 'Big E' engagement because of the positive influence it can have on an organization,” Paul Terry, Ph.D., president and CEO of HERO, says in a statement. Terry adds, “This study will get us closer to understanding this relationship and how employers can influence the situation by looking specifically at the impact workplace well-being programs and best practices have on engagement. This is tangible information employers can use to increase the value of their well-being initiatives.”

The online HERO Scorecard allows employers of all sizes to assess their wellness program initiatives, based on a defined set of industry best practices for improving employee well-being. Companies that complete the HERO Scorecard receive a score for each best practice area, as well as a cumulative score. They also can access national benchmarking data to see how their program compares to other organizations completing the scorecard.

According to Grossmeier, the study will be completed this June, with findings to be released shortly after that.

Instant Insights /

How Does Workplace Culture, Well-Being Impact Employee Engagement?

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