Guest Q&A – Hasting Direct’s Wellbeing Manager

1. What are the areas you find you spend the most of your time working on?

A lot of my time is spent embedding and promoting our wellbeing programme to all our colleagues, across all of our sites. Ensuring all content is relevant, easy to locate, and up to date.

It is becoming increasingly more important to work closely with the other areas of the business, such as Diversity & Inclusion, Rewards, and the Sustainability programmes (to name but a few), with each focusing on their own particular initiatives and campaigns. As the gatekeeper of all things wellbeing, it is important that our wellbeing programme is threaded through to make sure all messages are consistent and aligned.

I also enjoy spending time with Hastings’ growing network of Wellbeing Champions and Mental Health First Aiders, making sure they have the right skill set and knowledge to perform their roles. I do this by working closely with our wellbeing and reward providers, and staying acquainted with the various tools and resources within the wellbeing & rewards programmes.

A well-informed Wellbeing Champion makes for a wellbeing-informed department and in turn, they become wellbeing ambassadors. For many colleagues, peer to peer support is becoming increasingly important - so promoting a healthy workplace culture and dispelling the stigma surrounding mental health is time well spent for all.      

2. To you, what are the hallmarks of a workplace that truly embodies wellbeing?

At Hastings, it’s our people. I know most companies say this, nonetheless it’s true.

Our senior leaders have not only put wellbeing on their agendas, and continue to invest year-on-year in the programme, but (most importantly) they really understand the importance of having a wellbeing programme that’s fit for Hastings and for their colleagues. They continue to show the level of commitment and importance Hastings has in the programme.

Hastings’ colleagues have fully embraced our Wellbeing programme since its launch in 2017. There are very few days throughout the year where I don’t have somebody saying something positive about the work the programme does. Whether that’s attending a menopause café, a leader’s mental health workshops, or using one of our wellness apps.

It is not just good for the company, it’s good for our colleagues, our customers and the communities Hastings work within too. Something I am extremely proud of.

3. How do you approach the balance of digital vs real-life solutions to mental health and wellbeing?  What do you think is the right balance?

It’s about having the right intervention, with the right colleague, at the right time. You cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about choices, and letting the colleague decide what approach is right.

Hastings has a growing, diverse and multigenerational workforce, each colleague having different requirements when it comes to getting the support they need. We strive to make sure we cater for everyone.

Whether it is app-based, web-based, or face-to-face; the approach needs to be easily accessible and frictionless, or there is a risk colleagues will get frustrated and give up. This will also include your leadership population, who are trying to support their teams.

4. What do you think will become big trends in the workplace wellbeing space in the coming years?

Mental and emotional health will continue to grow as a topic in the workplace: It’s been the number one wellbeing focus area since Hastings launched the programme, and I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. This feeds through to all of the other wellness matters that we focus on at Hastings.

There will also be an increasing focus on holistic wellness. Caring about the whole person; connecting mental, emotional, physical, social, financial, and environmental wellbeing.

Financial wellbeing: The cost of living crisis continues to put a strain on colleagues’ finances and potentially their health.

At Hastings, we have worked hard over the years to promote financial wellbeing; which has offered financial education, debt management assistance, and support with retirement. However, more will need to be done as the unpredictable fiscal environment continues, so I see financial wellbeing still being a focus area for the future.

Sense of purpose and self-care: For many colleagues, since the pandemic ended, there is a lack of sense of purpose. This has impacted their resilience which will affect their self-care.

Our Wellbeing programme is reaching out to the communities Hastings works in and to those who can play a big part in helping to build a colleague’s sense of purpose - both inside and outside of the workplace. Community wellbeing gives people an opportunity to connect and build stronger relationships both in and outside of the workplace, whilst having a greater sense of belonging.

5. What do you think are the 3 most important things right now that business leaders in insurance can do to make the workplace kinder and fairer?

Compassion: We want to guide leaders to have better conversations around mental health and wellbeing and to embed positive, long-term cultural change. This includes equipping leaders with better knowledge and understanding of the tools and resources to signpost colleagues to when they need it the most.

Proactive style of leadership: creating an environment where colleagues feel safe and confident to talk openly about how they are feeling, being able to have the right conversation with the right colleague, signposting to the right intervention at the right time.

Effective listening skills: It doesn’t come easy for some, but listening can help leaders better understand each team member’s personal needs, challenges and concerns, and be proactive in addressing them. It also helps you build rapport and leave a positive impression.

Think of the power of the pause. While most people want to fill the void with words, it’s giving the colleague an opportunity to answer in silence, which is very powerful.