Essentials for workplace well-being: Opportunity for growth
In 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General issued the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being in response to impacts of the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work, and the relationship many workers have with their jobs,” the framework notes. “The link between our work and our health has become even more evident.”
The framework describes five essentials and their components for re-imagining workplaces:
In previous articles in this five-part series, we took a look at Protection from Harm, Connection & Community, Work-Life Harmony and Mattering at Work. For this final article, we look at Opportunity for Growth and its components.
Learning and accomplishment are basic human needs. Writes the U.S. Surgeon General, “Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills in the workplace, which provides opportunities for individual intellectual, social, professional, and emotional growth.” Accomplishment, the successful completion and achievement of a task, leads to a sense of confidence and competence. Accomplishment can help reduce stress and anxiety. Organizations that foster learning and provide opportunities for accomplishment and growth, see gains in employee engagement, performance and outcomes and well-being.
The components of Opportunity for Growth are:
- Offer quality training, education, and mentoring
- Foster clear, equitable pathways for career advancement
- Ensure relevant, reciprocal feedback
Here are some ways you can align with this essential in the workplace.
Offering quality training, education and mentoring
Connect with Department of Enterprise Services (DES) training. DES provides high-quality instructor-led and on-demand training to promote employee growth and development. DES serves state agencies, tribes, higher education institutions, cities, counties, and other 501(c)(3) federally-funded nonprofit employers. Customers may also include government entities or public benefit nonprofit organizations of other states.
Training categories include those listed below. Visit DES Training for a full list of categories.
- DEI — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Information Technology
- Leadership
- Personal & Professional Development
- Well-Being
Mentoring programs can ultimately lead to higher engagement, increased productivity and improved outcomes. Program benefits for mentors, mentees and the organizations are numerous and include:
- Use and development of competencies
- Provision and receipt of practical knowledge
- Maintenance of institutional knowledge
University of California, Davis provides a full list mentoring program benefits.
Foster clear, equitable pathways for career advancement
According to the U.S Surgeon General, “When organizations provide transparent career pathways and advancement opportunities for all workers, this also fosters inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
- Collaborate with Human Resources to identify and formalize career paths — a framework for identifying internal movement through skills development, achievement and promotion.
- Ensure equitable access to career paths. Review, assess and revise current policies and procedures that pose barriers to employees, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
- Provide learning opportunities for career planning. DES offers a virtual course: A — Z Career Planning.
Ensure relevant, reciprocal feedback
- Identify clear expectations, goals and objectives.
- Provide mid-year or more frequent opportunities for informal and formal feedback.
- Learn about the Art of Delivering Positive Feedback — A DES virtual course.
- Develop Effective Feedback Coaching Skills — A DES virtual course.
Providing opportunities for growth reduces the risk of low engagement, stagnation and turnover. Consult with your Human Resources partners, training managers, leadership, DES Training and the EAP to develop and/or improve your learning and development strategies.
Request an EAP organizational consult
The EAP provides consultations to supervisors, managers, and leaders on issues like employee performance, workplace conflict and employee mental health and well-being. The EAP can also consult on resources and strategies to help you and your employees manage competing demands. Visit the EAP website to request an organizational consultation.
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