Caring for People and Organizations:
Building Measurable, Culturally Responsive Wellbeing Strategies
On January 29, NYC SHRM members gathered at HUB International’s New York City office for a hybrid discussion titled Global Wellbeing: A Look Around the World at a Very Timely Topic. HR leaders, students, and practitioners joined in person and virtually to examine how organizations across regions are redefining what it means to support employee physical and mental health.
The panel featured Dr. Kathleen Pike, CEO of One Mind and Director of the Mental Health and Work Design Lab at the Columbia Center for Global Mental Health; Simon Babraff, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President at Mitsubishi Corporation; Patricia Viotto, Human Resources Director at Softys; and Vlad Gogish, Senior Principal at Mercer. Dr. Steve Safier, Program Director and Lecturer for Columbia University’s MS in Human Capital Management, served as moderator.
The conversation made one thing clear. Wellbeing is no longer a peripheral benefit. It is a business strategy.
From Benefits to Business Strategy
Panelists emphasized that while access to health and welfare benefits remains essential, benefits alone do not create a culture of wellbeing. As Dr. Pike stated, “Benefits are super, super important, but if we want to achieve mental health and wellness for our people, it is a lot more than benefits.”
Effective wellbeing strategies require intentional design, leadership commitment, and measurable outcomes. Organizations must move beyond offering resources and instead ask whether those resources are reducing risk, improving engagement, and strengthening performance.
One Mind’s Mental Health at Work Index provides a useful framework through its Three Ps model: Protection, Promotion, and Provision. Protection focuses on reducing work related mental health risks. Promotion enhances the positive aspects of work. Provision ensures employees have access to support regardless of the root cause of their challenges. Together, these elements create a structured and comprehensive approach rather than a collection of disconnected programs.
Measure What Matters
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was measurement. Without metrics, wellbeing efforts struggle to gain traction with senior leadership.
As Vlad Gogish noted, HR and finance do not always see eye to eye. However, when HR leaders understand how the business generates revenue and aligns wellbeing metrics to business outcomes, they earn credibility. Dr. Pike reinforced this point: “If we do not measure what we are doing, we will never be able to prove the value of investment.” She added a powerful reminder: “The most expensive strategy is no strategy.”
Wellbeing is a driver of performance. Absence, turnover, productivity, and engagement are measurable. When wellbeing initiatives are tied directly to these outcomes, the conversation shifts from cost to return.
Global Consistency, Local Adaptation
While wellbeing is a global priority, its expression varies significantly by region.
In Japan and parts of East Asia, Simon Babraff described a more paternalistic corporate approach in which organizations assume responsibility for employee health. Despite this structure, stigma around mental health can limit open dialogue. Ongoing efforts are focused on normalizing conversations and reducing barriers to support.
In Latin America, Patricia Viotto highlighted a highly regulated labor environment. Recent legislation in countries such as Brazil requires employers to provide psychological support and prevent toxic work environments. Compliance and culture must work together.
In Sub Saharan Africa, organizations may prioritize basic access to healthcare and management of communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. In these contexts, wellbeing strategies often begin with fundamental health access.
These examples underscore an important leadership tension. Global organizations need a clear through line anchored in shared principles and values. At the same time, execution must reflect local cultural, regulatory, and social realities. As Viotto noted, “The balance of responsibility varies across regions, but what remains constant is that it cannot be outsourced.”
Design the Work, Not Just the Program
Another key insight centered on work design. Poorly structured roles, unclear priorities, and inefficient processes create stress that no benefit plan can solve.
Dr. Safier observed that work design has received less attention in recent decades in the United States. However, the rise of artificial intelligence is renewing focus on how jobs and teams are structured. As organizations rethink automation, task allocation, and decision rights, they also have an opportunity to redesign work in ways that support engagement and reduce burnout.
Wellbeing is influenced by workload clarity, autonomy, team dynamics, and realistic deadlines. HR leaders can play a critical role in helping the business examine not only what support is offered, but how work itself is constructed.
The Lasting Impact of the Pandemic
The panel also reflected on the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shared global experience fundamentally shifted employee expectations around flexibility and work life integration.
Viotto noted that the pandemic made wellbeing non-negotiable. Employees experienced new forms of flexibility and many do not want to lose them. Babraff added that during the pandemic, leaders did not need to be convinced through abstract data. They lived through the same uncertainty and disruption as their teams.
This collective experience created greater empathy at senior levels. The challenge now is sustaining that momentum in a more stable environment.
Storytelling and Psychological Safety
Storytelling emerged as a powerful tool for driving awareness and leadership buy-in. Personal stories can reduce stigma and humanize mental health discussions. At the same time, Dr. Pike cautioned that not everyone feels safe to share their story. Early career professionals or those in less supportive environments may not feel secure disclosing personal experiences.
This reinforces the importance of psychological safety. Leaders must create environments where openness is encouraged, confidentiality is respected, and vulnerability is not penalized. Sharing what works, not only what is broken, can also help normalize wellbeing conversations.
Practical Steps Forward
Panelists offered practical guidance for HR leaders seeking to enhance wellbeing in their organizations. Behavioral nudges can encourage incremental change. Small adjustments to daily routines, communication norms, and workload transparency can have a cumulative impact.
Encouraging open dialogue about deadlines and expectations reduces unnecessary stress. Ensuring leaders understand how to discuss mental health appropriately increases comfort across teams. Most importantly, aligning wellbeing efforts to business priorities ensures sustainability.
Conclusion
The discussion reinforced that effective global wellbeing strategies require both consistency and flexibility. Organizations must establish clear principles, measure outcomes, and connect wellbeing to performance. At the same time, they must adapt approaches to reflect local culture, regulation, and workforce needs.
In a rapidly evolving world of work, wellbeing cannot be treated as an add on. It must be intentional, measurable, and embedded in how work is designed and how leaders lead. When organizations commit to this level of rigor and responsiveness, they strengthen both employee experience and organizational performance.
