'What Matters to Staff Programme': eight steps to improve staff well-being at work.

Abstract

Background and aim: The What Matters to Staff programme was designed at the Royal Free Hospital to address a key priority of improving workforce well-being. The initial aim was to set up a programme that responded to what mattered to staff and could be spread to 70 teams across the hospital within 2 years.

Methods: The programme was developed by adding a set of simple, yet important steps around the 'what matters to you' conversation from the Joy in Work Framework. The programme enrolled its first teams in January 2022 and has since spread widely to over 90 areas and has involved approximately 3000 staff.

Results: There have been significant improvements in staff experience, staff engagement and workforce metrics since the programme began and it is now embedded as business as usual within each division. It was easily scalable on minimal resources due to its standardised and systematic approach and because the programme was seen to drive positive and impactful change.

Conclusion: Over the past 2 years, the programme has given staff the opportunity to have their voice heard and has supported leaders to ask, listen and do what matters most for their teams. This has led to improved workforce metrics and the programme being widely scaled and spread.