Launching well-being programme and new values for Voka. Employee retention is probably one of the biggest challenges HR managers face nowadays. But sometimes pragmatic solutions can pop up just by doing. The Chamber of Commerce in Flemish Brabant (Voka), Belgium, is one of those organisations that understands the value of people. Keeping talented employees by motivating them, cherishing their well-being and stimulate their feeling of happiness: that’s the key message. To say in with the words of well-being expert Ann De Bisschop:
“It’s about co-workers who give their best passionately, people who feel inspired and creative. People who don’t feel oppressed by work related stress, but who are aware of it and know how to manage it. And also about leaders who are inspiring coaches instead of controlling bosses. It’s about pushing boundaries together.”
That’s exactly the vision that Herculean envisages. And that’s also our approach in supporting the Chamber of Commerce (‘VOKA”) in their engagement/well-being trajectory. The trajectory was split in 2 parts:
- The kick-off of the new corporate values in October, supported by a strategic session as well as fun and games
- On the other hand, the well-being platform tailored to the specific needs of the Chamber, providing the needed digital support throughout the year. The 5 corporate values are also the backbone of the platform.
The Kick-off was named “VokAdventure”, a combination of theory and pratice, and was just what the doctor ordered. Not only were the participants very enthusiastic, more importantly: everyone got a thorough understanding of the new values and why they’re linked to the very specific DNA of the organisation. In the morning, the Voka colleagues were submerged in an interactive session about the new values, which offered the necessary theoretical background and framework. Both crucial elements, but that doesn’t mean that the values are lived by everyone.
Rather than the scholastic approach or pushing people to memorise the values, the Chamber opted for the active approach with gamification. We set up a teambuilding progamme with several challenges for teams. Every challenge personalized one value. It seemed to be the perfect way to actually LIVE the values.
And although the actual challenges of the competition remained a secret until the day itself, the teams knew exactly what to expect. A customized event website in the Voka look and feel was launched weeks before the actual event to prepare the participants and give them the opportunity to personalize their team profile. All event communication and administration was also done through the website, which took away a lot of administrative hassle for the internal administrator at the Chamber.
The afternoon was filled with an interactive visit to the sports museum, which was also part of the competition (or what did you think?). And there was also an inspirational speaker who integrated the Voka values in his story about surpassing your limits. The speaker also took the Voka employees on a suprise: they went on a “heartwarming” journey that pushed their boundaries too and connected them even more.
The entire programme had enough elements to please everyone, regardless of backgroundm age, interest or skills. There was room for inspiration, team work, the 5 Voka values, action and, of course, the launch of their brand new well-being platform. Because this is only the start of the well-being trajectory for the employees of the Chamber!
Are you also looking to look for new ways to take care of your employees’ well-being? Or do you want to know how to bring your values to life? Let us know on info@herculean.coop.
