We invest in wellbeing Case Study
GRAHAM Group
Creating a workplace culture which allows employees to thrive!
GRAHAM group’s journey towards becoming a high-performance organisation prioritises wellbeing and showcases the importance of collaboration, open communication, employee engagement and expert leadership…
About GRAHAM Group
With over 250 years of experience in the construction sector, GRAHAM deliver small to complex, multimillion pound projects in construction, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and investments.
As industry leaders GRAHAM are corporately and socially responsible with an uncompromising commitment to sustainability, inclusion, diversity and innovation. In collaboration with their clients and partners they think long term to deliver lasting impact together.
Employing 2,500 employees, as well as another 5,000 supply chain personnel, GRAHAM’s long-term success is based on the endeavour and skill of its people. At GRAHAM people matter and their innovative ‘whole’ person approach means that they understand that a healthy employee is engaged and productive, with investment in wellbeing foundational to organisational success.
- Industry: Construction
- Location: UK Wide
- Organisation size: 2,500+ people
GRAHAM’s quest to be the best – why the wellbeing journey began
GRAHAM operate in a sector that has a unique set of wellbeing challenges – its male dominated, and men traditionally have a reluctance to talk about wellbeing issues or to seek help.
GRAHAM face obvious employee wellbeing issues due to the physical nature of the work but also have to consider wider endemic societal problems around drug and alcohol misuse, alarmingly increasing rates of mental ill-health and male suicide (an average of two workers taking their own lives per day in the construction industry).
Working on over 100 sites at any one time with employees of differing ages, genders and wellbeing needs has also proven to be a challenge, along with making information accessible, simple to understand and available at the point of need.
Combining organisational values with Investors in People’s framework to ‘buck the trend’ in the construction sector
GRAHAM’s values of transparency, innovation, respect, collaboration, and performance are deep rooted within everything they do, including wellbeing. Placing an emphasis on its people and driven by a robust Wellbeing strategy, solutions have been developed, and continue to be developed for these perceived challenges.
GRAHAM have been working with Investors in People since 2017 to support their approach to Wellbeing, and most recently have found the three key components of our new We invest in wellbeing framework (leading, supporting and improving), to be a well-balanced and structured approach to creating and maintaining excellence in wellbeing, that delivers real results for both employees and the business.
To implement their innovative wellbeing strategy, GRAHAM’s senior leadership believe in leading from the front, with leaders acting both as role models and wellbeing champions.
This has helped drive acceptance and change from within, which has led to the creation of a specific cross functional, in-house wellbeing team, headed up by a professional Wellbeing practitioner. This team regularly utilises in-house wellbeing employee and line manager surveys and focus groups, to ensure all employees have a voice and that wellbeing services deliver maximum effectiveness.
A people focused approach to wellbeing – proving that wellbeing isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ product
Wellbeing is usually very individualised, and GRAHAM excel at providing assessment tools (for example an intensive, private medical based annual health assessment) and support services that deliver what each employee needs to maintain or get back to their best self.
Their online Wellbeing Hub gives employees access to a wealth of information, practical advice and signposting, whilst individual wellbeing programmes as part of their ‘Renew You’ programme allow individuals to tailor design to their own unique requirements.
However, many employees find themselves facing similar wellbeing challenges. By understanding these collective needs better, GRAHAM’s wellbeing team have been able to identify and deliver targeted programmes for the benefit of these niche groups, whether that be for new parents, gender specific conditions, employees over 50 or those feeling the impact of the menopause.
Not only can employees benefit from all these services 24/7– it’s all available to family and the supply chain as well.
GRAHAM place a strong focus on using metrics and benchmarking to drive service design and delivery. Knowing the issues, or what is working can ensure that resources are directed to where they will have maximum impact.
By taking this proactive, strategic approach and putting together a succinct short term and long-term plan for change, the results that GRAHAM has seen since have been transformational.
Having reached £1bn turnover, our employees are happy, motivated and want to stay with GRAHAM for the long run. None of this would be possible without a culture that supports and benefits our teams physically and mentally.
Our employees know that they can talk about formerly taboo subjects. Nothing is off the table, whether that’s the menopause, mental health, or disability. GRAHAM’s staff know that they are in a safe place, where support is available in person and online, when they or their families need it.
With a clear strategy driven by a professional wellbeing team; line managers leading wellbeing on the ground; fantastic, tailored resources; and employees supporting each other – it’s all a recipe for a productive, healthy work environment where people really care.
The impact of wellbeing
Since partnering with Investors in People to support their wellbeing journey, GRAHAM has seen a huge improvement in its people and business impact results, with high, increasing engagement rates and reduced physical and mental health issues.
Participation rates in wellbeing related sessions are at an all-time high, showing that there is now long-term buy in and focus on raising the standards of wellbeing even further in the future.
GRAHAM’s focused approach to high performance wellbeing, has also seen a dramatic reduction in absenteeism and long-term sickness rates, resulting in a far more productive workforce.
With these absence rates lower than national averages – an average of 1.2 days per person absence vs. the national average of 7.8 days per person – GRAHAM are bucking the trend that is blighting so much of UK industry but most importantly their approach has been a literal life saver for a number of employees – showing that its not about stats, rather the impact the strategy has on real lives.
GRAHAM is reaping the rewards of their reputation with increased employee retention and motivation rates, as well as the impact of winning work with clients who share the same vision for people management.
Absence at GRAHAM has reduced by 35% in the last 2 years
85% of GRAHAM employees say it is a great place to work – an increase of 5% in the last 3 years
GRAHAM enjoys a 25% lower staff turnover compared to the industry average
GRAHAM employees access wellbeing resources 16% more than the industry average
GRAHAM Group understand that creating an environment where people can perform at their best delivers sustainable competitive advantage, and have placed Health & Wellbeing at the heart of their people strategy and business culture.
They are highly attuned and responsive to employee’s needs, and continuously pilot innovative Health & Wellbeing initiatives, often in conjunction with their clients.
Through effective evaluation, data analysis, and benchmarking, GRAHAM can demonstrate how their significant investment is delivering lasting impact: for their employees and their families, for the business, and their clients.
Take-away points from GRAHAM’s wellbeing masterclass:
#1
Lead from the front and ensure managers are equipped to provide support.
Understanding the importance Leaders, Mentors and Champions play in the workplace, GRAHAM’s senior leadership team have not only provided investment but most importantly have been active role models, ensuring that the topic of wellbeing is at the forefront of every conversation or employee process. GRAHAM also recognise the vital role of the line manager to support Wellbeing on the ground and have ensured every manager has the confidence, skills and support to deliver for their teams.
#2
Be proactive and not reactive when it comes to your employees wellbeing
Keen to continue creating and innovating, GRAHAM actively encourages feedback from employees – through groups, surveys, focus groups or programme participation. Every employee at GRAHAM has a voice and has a platform to influence strategy and their own individual needs. GRAHAM also look outside the business for who is doing great things around wellbeing and how that might relate to their people. By doing this they have introduced effective programmes that deliver what people need even sometimes before the need arises. This makes GRAHAM an attractive proposition for new recruits, as well as for those staying in the business for the long-term.
#3
Data is critical
Quite simply you can’t control what you can’t measure. GRAHAM have an ability to gather lots of quantitative and qualitative information from a range of sources that not only show where they need to best invest their resources but also highlights to employees and especially the business the benefits of a strategic approach to wellbeing. When people see that it works then it increases motivation and further investment, creating a wheel of perpetual positive motion.
#4
No subject should be taboo in the workplace
Whether its menopause, obesity, motherhood or poor mental health, GRAHAM have made it imperative that no topic is off the table, both on site and in the office. With employee representative groups bringing like-minded individuals together to support one another through challenging times, there is a family and community spirit throughout GRAHAM, but also a belief that I can impact change as an individual, which makes employees comfortable to speak up and access help, which leads to positivity, loyalty and increased productivity.
#5
Allow technology to be your best friend
With such a diverse workforce with differing needs and ways to consume information, GRAHAM’s Wellbeing Hub allows employees to have the technology at their fingertips to personalise their wellbeing service, wherever they are in the world at any given time.
The Future
GRAHAM has made significant progress on its Wellbeing journey over the last seven years, building a reputation as a leader across all industries.
However continuous improvement and innovation is critical to maintaining employee wellbeing and business effectiveness.
Fuelled by their participative and supportive partnership with Investors in People, GRAHAM are seeking to be regularly challenged to be even better – both by supporting and learning from others who are on the workplace wellbeing journey.
In the end Wellbeing is not a competition – its about collaboration that benefits the overall economy and future of UK society. By working with Investors in People GRAHAM believe they can be part of making that happen.
I firmly believe people don’t just join businesses for money or career development. These may be the important starting points, but the type of employer you are, is what keeps people in the long term. If you value individuals and have a focus on ‘Wellbeing’, people respond. They want to be with your company and will encourage and attract others leading to a pipeline of success.
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