Ideas to Engage Offline Employees
Vikky Goodwin
Information Manager & Lead MHC
VolkerRail LTD
Vikky is an Lead Mental Health Champion for VolkerRail who last year won various awards for her workforce Initiative Building Relationships On Site (BROS). She has been a Mental Health Champion for 6 years and has spoken across various industry platforms about the ways companies can engage site workers in their mental health initiatives, and introduce better working relationships on site and in the office.
Steve Mosley
Information & Communication Manager
Omexom
Steve leads the IT and Communications team in Omexom, a global engineering and construction business. He has worked in many sectors including manufacturing. IT and local government. Steve is passionate about employee wellbeing. Two of his family members suffered serious mental health issues including a suicide. He strives for inclusion and support for all employees regardless of position. In an industry where site employees are often the forgotten ones, he is determined to change this. Steve leads the wellbeing team within Omexom and has developed many initiatives including Fish and Chip Friday.
Employees always know what they need, and they will let you know, so understanding what their needs are and when they need it is important.
Ideas to Engage Offline Employees
Vicky Goodwin, Information Manager at VolkerRail, shares her advice on the best ways you can engage offline and remote staff in effective authentic ways. Each of her points are followed by a suggestion from Steve Moseley, Information and Communication Manager at Omexom. Steve and Vikky both spoke at our June 2023 Conference as part of our 'Engaging in mental wellbeing for offline staff' panel.
Engagement:
Engaging your employees in strategies and initiatives so that they are actively involved in there creation and evolvement, means that you get buy in from the start. Employees always know what they need, and they will let you know, so understanding what their needs are and when they need it is important.
- Suggestion: Ensure Wellbeing champions reflect diverse nature of employees and include site / remote employees
Communication:
Open communication, in safe environments to communicate is important to create positive wellbeing spaces within workplaces.
- Suggestion: Direct employee contact through dedicated apps crucial e.g. SnapComms (Don’t rely on a cascade approach)
Be truthful:
Always be truthful with your employees. If you make a mistake own it and try and rectify it, if you can’t offer them what they want then try to compromise and look for ways you can work with them to address any issues.
- Suggestion: Trust employees and empower to make the right decisions
Tailored initiatives:
We understand that our offline employees can’t always access Mental Health initiatives and resources the way that our employees working in offices can, so tailor initiatives and webinars to suit them, whether that be changing the times to suit their needs (evening webinars) or focussing on behavioural changes that they can relate to within their team structures.
- Suggestion: Fish and Chip Friday
Understand your employees’ needs:
It’s easy to get drawn into following the MH calendars and initiatives that are set out by national days/weeks and they are all great and have a purpose but sometimes employees might need help in different subjects so it’s about understanding what help or guidance they need and providing resources to meet those needs.
- Suggestion: Create Safe Community groups for remote employees
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