Wellness Won’t Save Your Business from Burnout – But High Performance Will

By Charlie Coode, Founder of Culture15

Wellness programmes aren’t working

Earlier this year, global market research company Ipsos revealed a troubling trend: 37% of UK employees are experiencing, or are close to, burnout. Even more concerning is the prevalence of this exhaustion issue among younger members of the workforce, with the corporate wellness industry surging in response. Indeed, what was a $61.2 billion market in 2021 is projected to reach $94.6 billion in value by 2026 – which leaves one question: if companies are pouring billions into wellness initiatives, why is burnout still a problem?

The answer lies in how organisations approach the issue. It’s not apps, yoga classes or one-off wellbeing perks that drive meaningful, sustainable change. Rather, it’s the practices, processes and procedures that make up a company’s everyday operations and culture– with positive strategies leading to good mental health and lesser developed cultures conversely contributing to the chronic stress. More than just feeling fed up and a little tired, burnout is a long-term, institutional rather than individual problem – and business leaders must approach it if they are to maintain people-positive, productive organisations capable of withstanding all kinds of challenges and fluctuations. In other words, they must get to the heart of the issue rather than sticking band-aids on a deeper wound.

Balancing wellbeing and performance

This isn’t to say that wellbeing initiatives must be thrown out of the window entirely. It’s simply a case of striking the right balance between wellbeing and performance, shifting the scales to 30/70 to ensure that sufficient action is being taken to measure and monitor how employees adapt, communicate and work. A strong, well-managed culture fosters both business performance and employee wellbeing, without forcing companies to sacrifice one for the other with excessive breaks and time off.

Preventing burnout isn’t about perks or one-off wellness events. It’s about building a thriving, efficient, high-performance culture, where people feel motivated, aligned and part of the company’s strategic goals. When employees understand their role in achieving success and feel listened to and respected, they’re much more likely to feel empowered – and much less likely to fall victim to burnout.

Chasing performance isn’t a bad thing

There’s a growing narrative to suggest that companies should focus almost exclusively on wellbeing, however, with media villainising any leader that does not. Whilst wellbeing aspects are undeniably important in terms of short-term motivation, recent trends have swung too far in favour of promoting a ‘feel-good’ workplace, leaving performance on the back burner. Companies that embrace wellbeing-focussed cultures above all else are, for lack of a better word, nice. And nice companies are often left wondering why they’re not performing as well as expected.

The reality is that in today’s challenging economy, rife with rising inflation and business costs, wellness programmes can’t save you. Yes, you’ll hold onto top talent for a little longer – but you’ll still lost time and eventually, key people, if you don’t prioritise results-driven outcomes and high performance as well. Chasing goals in this way is not inherently negative but a central tenet of successful business – and leaders must not be afraid to put this front and centre.

Turning things around

So, how do businesses pivot from nice to peak performance? It all begins with setting clear cultural expectations and goals. High-performing cultures are explicit about what they stand for and attract employees who are not just looking for wellness perks but a challenging, results-driven environment in which they can thrive. These cultures are defined by behaviours aligned with strategic business goals – not just employee satisfaction and engagement.

Rather than viewing culture management as a soft skill, then, companies must treat it as a business strategy. Culture measurement and management tools can help with this, providing data-driven insights into specific business behaviours to help companies manage their culture more effectively. By building what is essentially a roadmap to a performance-focussed environment that still takes care of employee wellbeing by looking after people’s long-term talents, ambitions and skills, leaders can create a culture of sustained wellbeing and productivity.

In the end, it’s high-performance cultures that will future proof your business, preventing burnout by creating an environment where employees feel empowered by and aligned with the company’s vision. Inclusive practices, mutual respect and results-oriented actions will always improve employee sentiment and satisfaction in a more meaningful way than quick tips and treats – allowing your people to make confident strides towards your desired company outcomes.