Insights from Wellbeing Designers on the Wellbeing at Work Summit

Written by Becca Smith, participant at the Wellbeing at Work Summit

Cultivating a Culture of Wellbeing

The Wellbeing at Work European Summit in Zurich on May 25, 2023 brought together many HR, Rewards, and Wellbeing leaders from across the European region. It was an amazing day of connecting, learning, and collectively improving workplace wellbeing.

The summit featured a stellar lineup of industry experts and thought leaders who shared their personal and workplace experiences with wellbeing. Every participant had fantastic opportunities to learn from leading companies in the wellbeing space and network with other professionals between sessions.

The summit truly equipped attendees with practical tools and knowledge to boost employee engagement and wellbeing. Whether they were new to the journey or looking to build on years of experience, participants left with actionable insights to make a real impact in their workplaces.

The panel, “Building & Creating a Wellbeing Strategy in Large Organizations”, featured insightful discussions from industry experts, each sharing their unique experiences and strategies. The panelists included:

• Eva Haussmann, former Head of Personal Resilience at SwissRe

• Julie Rust-Bodenmann, Global Head of Wellbeing at Credit Suisse

• Dr. Katja Raithel, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing at Zurich Insurance

• The session was moderated by Réka Deák, Founder of Wellbeing Designers.

Here is a recap of the key points discussed during the panel:

Getting Started with Wellbeing Strategies

It’s not easy to get a wellbeing strategy off the ground - it’s difficult to know where to start, how to structure the strategy, and what initiatives will truly have an impact. Each panelist explained their approach to their wellbeing strategy.

Katja explained how Zurich Insurance focused on a a globally aligned wellbeing strategy that could be adapted to local needs, with the crucial role of an ERG (employee resource group) to effectively listen to employees’ wellbeing concerns.

Eva shared how SwissRe transitioned from wellbeing into “personal resilience” and initiated their strategy by actively listening to employees, asking questions like “What does well-being mean to you?” and “When do you feel well at work?”

Julie laid out how Credit Suisse began by assessing their existing resources and data related to wellbeing, identifying gaps in their offering and governance.

Implementation Approaches

Even with a strong and well-structured wellbeing strategy, it can be challenging to “get the ball rolling” through implementation.

Eva shared that leveraging wellbeing initiatives of different time frames could be advantageous. Some changes, like benefits modifications, would of course be more long-term, while Swiss Re’s “It’s Okay” campaign, emphasizing to employees messages like “It’s okay to take a break”, had a shorter-term impact that could be leveraged in the meantime.

Julie explained how her team prioritized data collection to measure the progress of their strategy. They created two dashboards: one for measuring employee wellbeing (sick leave, attrition, survey measures, etc.) and another to evaluate the program’s effectiveness (attendance of training, feedback, etc.).

Getting Buy-In for Wellbeing

A major component of implementing wellbeing strategies at scale is to get buy in, often from senior leaders in the organization. This can be quite a challenge, and each panelist shared experiences and advice on how they would obtain senior leadership’s support for their strategy.

Katja stressed the importance of showcasing data and successful outcomes to gain support for wellbeing initiatives. Eva recommended demonstrating existing progress to senior leaders to build on current efforts and therefore secure additional resources. Julie underscored the significance of creating champions for wellbeing within the organization, especially among leaders below the CEO level, to generate grassroots support and momentum.

Ultimately, the panel provided valuable insights into the complex process of developing implementing, and sustaining wellbeing strategies in large organizations, offering a roadmap for those looking to prioritize employee wellbeing within their companies.

About Becca Smith:

Becca Smith's professional experience spans across the Human Resources/People industry, living and working internationally in the United States, Colombia, Spain, and Switzerland. She graduated from the Master’s in Talent Development & Human Resources program at IE Business School with a Fulbright scholarship focused on eliminating workplace burnout globally. She has worked with individuals and teams to support the implementation of tangible well-being strategies, across their personal and professional lives.