Creativity, Mindfulness, Culture of work, Value on Investment (VOI), and the changing demographic. What do Wellness professionals, Corporations need to know?

By Anita Mwalui. PhD, MPH, CWP

Exploring wellness in the workplace and the future of wellness accompanied with racial tensions, diversity/inclusion dialogues, isolation, lack of connectedness, lack of networking opportunities post-pandemic; remote working has become commonplace globally and the changing demographics of the United States. Keeping employees healthy for purposes of “Return on Investment (ROI) is one thing, level of value on the needed talent is another. Company executives will have to re-think competitively what attraction is needed to retain a talented workforce while maintaining their company’s “Value on Investment (VOI)”.

Wellness Is Not A One-Size-Fits-All

This means critical challenges for workplace wellness programs and therefore wellness professionals will be compelled to pay close attention to culturally competent standards of best practice in accommodating and providing appropriate services for diverse populations. This will include meeting the growing demands and needs of a diverse society, communities, and overall workforce. These changes are directly related to language barriers and different culturally related patterns of behavior not only with employees but also (corporations towards employees). This diversity presents workplace opportunities for high-quality continuing education and professional development to avoid team conflicts, biases, inequalities, unequitable practices, institutional & systemic barriers, and communication breakdowns. Without engaging in multiculturally competent appropriate feedback training and conversation for staff and management, businesses and corporations could experience higher turnovers, lower employee morale, and losses in productivity and profitability. The degree to which organizations embrace all employees and enable them to make meaningful contributions is key to diversity, equity, equality, and inclusive efforts of corporations and organizations. From a widening lens of a multiculturally competent perspective, wellness is not a one-size-fits-all. Therefore, it is imperative that revised workplace wellness initiatives become common purpose and should encompass how to sustain wellness efforts and maintain “Value on Investment (VOI)”. The reality of the changing demographics of the United States by the year 2050 where minority groups will make up 52% of the country’s population, it will determine an equitable workplace wellness framework. According to Pew Research Center, Americans value workplace diversity but few want employers to consider race or ethnicity in hiring and promotion decisions. The task for many wellness professionals will involve key definitions (culture, competence, cross-culture, multicultural, and inclusion). To adopt a growth mindset and feed future curiosity wellness professionals will have to learn new ways of engagement especially where remote working is commonplace globally and the technology divide exposed during the pandemic (COVID19). Feedback conversation should probe how to sustain wellness efforts and maintain “Value on Investment” (VOI). Every organization’s priority should be coordinated with a continuity of communication, engagement, inclusion, awareness of multicultural competence, and anticipated attraction to retain a talented workforce.

Resource

pewsocialtrends.org – Americans See Advantages and Challenges in Country’s Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Anita Mwalui PhD, MPH, CWP, is the Founder and CEO of Community Engagement & Consultation Group, as well as a member and Co-Chair of NWI’s Multicultural Competency Committee, Public Education and Program Committee Member for the Mental Health Association of Maryland and Advisory Board Member-Division of Health Services for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology & Public Health.