Measuring and strengthening wellbeing for a growing team

Helping one of the UK's fastest-growing companies see exactly what its people need with our workplace wellbeing audit.

Overview

GV Health is a science and technology company at the forefront of infection prevention. It leads the industry in sustainably forward-thinking waste management, environmental hygiene and safety solutions, and as a result, was the 24th fastest growing company in the UK in 2022. Following a shift to hybrid work, and with more people working together in different departments, the company wanted to make sure every single person felt supported and happy at work. So, they partnered with hoomph to carry out a workplace wellbeing audit – a structured look into what was working well and what could be improved.

The challenge

Following a huge growth spurt during the pandemic, GV Health has changed dramatically. In addition to expanding the team, evolving from a flat structure to a more complex organisation, it also transitioned to a hybrid work model, with employees working three days a week in the office instead of the previous five. GV Health’s CEO, Catherine Pegna, noted how this transition brought a few challenges – things like balancing in-office and remote communication – and wanted to know how the team were doing and what could be improved. Catherine was well aware of the trap many companies fall into – thinking they know what’s happening because they’re in an open-plan office – and partnered with hoomph to get clear answers on where to focus.

Our solution

To help GV Health understand how employees were and how to make improvements, our workplace wellbeing audit focused on six key areas that matter most for team wellbeing: leadership, management, relationships, work, support, and culture. Feedback was gathered not only from the leadership team but from employees at all levels, so GV Health got a complete picture. 

To understand what was in place in terms of wellbeing from a business perspective, we kicked off with a review meeting. What policies were in place? What was the management structure like? How do people get feedback? For employee insight, we asked the team to fill in a simple 15-minute anonymous survey over a period of a couple of weeks, so as to not overwhelm people. Next, we analysed each point and reported back to GV Health, showing where the company’s strengths were and creating a roadmap to highlight which areas to improve.

Results

The results from GV Health were generally positive across the board. Their overall wellbeing score came in at 81%, a strong starting point that made it clear they were on the right track. Armed with insights from our workplace wellbeing audit, GV Health took immediate action, with brilliant results:

• Wellbeing perks. Following feedback, the company introduced water coolers and made fresh fruit available to all. For extra work-life flexibility, an option was also added for employees to buy and sell holidays.

• Expanded mental health support. GV Health brought in new mental health benefits that were well received across the team.

• New inclusive policies. Policies around neurodivergence and menopause were introduced to help make sure every single member of the team can thrive. These policies not only went into the company handbook but also separately on the portal so everyone can easily find it. 

• Proactive leadership training. The senior leadership and management teams completed a neurodivergence course, which had a huge impact on how heads of department, in particular, manage some members of the team and recognise key points.

• Addressing office etiquette. Employees expressed concerns around open-plan office dynamics, particularly around office gossip. Heads of departments were briefed to address these issues, creating a more respectful and conscious culture. Following feedback sessions, employees were happy this had been addressed.

• Clearer communication. 23 out of 26 employees actively participated, showing a commitment to creating a happier, healthier workplace. The team were also encouraged to report to HR or management anytime, not just during an audit, and told how to give feedback. 

• Increased HR presence. Based on employee feedback, HR visibility was enhanced, offering employees more accessibility to HR resources and support. The team wanted to know the person they were talking to, and wanted to see more of hoomph.

By presenting GV Health with a structured wellbeing report, hoomph gave the company a clear path forward. With proactive adjustments to communication, support policies, and mental health resources, GV Health is creating a happier, healthier work environment where everyone can thrive. When we repeat the process next year, we’ll give GV Health an updated score, and hopefully see even more positive impact.

Client feedback

In our latest podcast episode, we chat over the process with GV Health’s brilliant CEO, @Catherine Pegna, discussing the impact the audit has had on both her team and the business.