June includes Volunteers’ Week – a reminder that many organisations are thinking more carefully about the role they play in the communities around them.
For some, that means volunteering initiatives or charity partnerships. For others, it’s about creating healthier workplaces, supporting local communities or thinking more broadly about how business decisions affect people’s lives.
Increasingly, organisations are recognising that workplace wellbeing and social value are closely connected.
The importance of organisational impact on the wider community was acknowledged by several senior leaders we interviewed as part of our research into senior leaders’ perceptions of workplace wellbeing. One described it this way:
“We are a section of the community and if we can help our employees to care about the people who live and work around them, that has a knock-on impact for us as an organisation. That sense of pride and satisfaction people get from helping others can only help us as a business.”
That wider “knock-on impact” sits at the heart of social value.
While the term is often associated with procurement or ESG reporting, in practice it simply refers to the wider social, environmental and economic contribution organisations make through the way they operate – including how they support employees, contribute locally and create healthier, more sustainable working environments.
Why social value matters
Social value became more prominent for many organisations through public sector procurement requirements, particularly following the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the Government’s Social Value Model.
But the conversation has expanded well beyond compliance.
Employees increasingly want to work for organisations whose values align with their own. Clients and investors are paying closer attention to culture, inclusion and wellbeing. At the same time, employers are recognising that workforce wellbeing is closely linked to organisational performance and community impact.
Research from the CIPD consistently links strong wellbeing cultures with higher engagement, lower absence and improved retention. There is also growing evidence that organisations with visible social impact initiatives often see stronger employee pride, connection and loyalty.
Importantly, social value is not only created through large-scale CSR campaigns. Often, it comes from the everyday experience people have at work and the ripple effect that creates beyond the organisation itself.
The wider impact of wellbeing
Community-focused initiatives can benefit organisations in practical ways. Research from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has linked volunteering and community engagement with improved mental wellbeing, stronger social connection and increased confidence.
But increasingly, organisations are recognising that workplace wellbeing itself can also generate social value.
When people feel supported at work, the impact often extends beyond working hours. Workplace culture can influence confidence, relationships, resilience and wellbeing more broadly across families and communities.
Several leaders in our research described wellbeing initiatives having a wider influence beyond work itself. One explained:
“The training and programmes we’ve done… I see people taking that into their personal lives and becoming advocates of wellbeing outside of work.”
Another reflected on the role organisations can play in shaping healthier communities:
“As employers we become educators… if we can instil values like that in people at work, that has a ripple impact across society.”
This is where workplace wellbeing and social value begin to overlap in a much more meaningful way.
Wellbeing as a social value strategy
Workplace wellbeing does not just benefit employees; when framed and evidenced correctly, it generates measurable social value. The key is thinking systemically.
Whole-system wellbeing moves beyond isolated initiatives to consider every level of an organisation – and then extends outward into the community. At each level, there are wellbeing interventions that align closely with social value outcomes.
At an organisational level, wellbeing audits, strategy development and recognised accreditations demonstrate commitment to inclusive workplace culture and long-term workforce health. These initiatives support TOMs measures such as NT20 (employee wellbeing programmes) and NT39 (mental health campaigns).
At a leader level, line manager wellbeing capability training is one of the highest-impact interventions available. Gallup research suggests managers account for up to 70% of variance in team engagement, yet many receive little training in wellbeing conversations. Supportive leadership improves psychological safety, retention and sustainable employment practices – all key social value outcomes.
At a team level, Mental Health First Aiders, wellbeing champions and peer support initiatives help build stronger workplace communities, reduce stigma and encourage earlier intervention. These programmes also contribute to TOMs measures linked to wellbeing skills and resilience training.
At an individual level, workshops, health checks, coaching and wellbeing tools can create measurable improvements in mental, physical and financial wellbeing. These interventions form the building blocks of broader social value measurement through frameworks such as WELLBY.
Finally, at a community level, wellbeing and social value strategies become fully integrated. Extending wellbeing initiatives into supply chains, local communities, voluntary organisations or schools allows organisations to create wider social impact while supporting community resilience and health equity.
Thinking this way helps organisations move beyond seeing wellbeing and social value as separate agendas.
Instead, wellbeing becomes one of the ways organisations actively contribute to healthier communities, more inclusive workplaces and better social outcomes overall.
Measuring impact
As wellbeing and social value strategies mature, organisations are increasingly looking for ways to measure impact more clearly.
Frameworks such as TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) and WELLBY (Wellbeing-adjusted Life Years) are helping organisations connect workplace wellbeing with measurable social outcomes.
But measurement does not need to become overly technical. For many organisations, the starting point is understanding whether initiatives are genuinely improving wellbeing, engagement and community impact.
Tracking participation, employee feedback, retention, wellbeing outcomes and community reach can help organisations evidence progress while identifying where investment is having the greatest impact.
Making the connection
The organisations making the biggest progress in this area are those which are embedding wellbeing into the everyday experience of work – through leadership, culture, inclusion, community connection and the way people are supported day to day.
Workplaces do not exist separately from the communities around them.
The way organisations support people at work can create impact far beyond the workplace itself – and increasingly, that wider impact is becoming part of what defines a successful organisation.
About the author
Angela Steel is Founder & CEO of SuperWellness. After a 15-year corporate career, Angela Steel retrained in nutrition in 2009 and gained an MSc in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck in 2023. She is the founder of SuperWellness, a company that empowers organisations, leaders, teams, and individuals to create lasting impact for wellbeing and performance.
SuperWellness runs regular free events on a range of topics aimed at health and wellbeing professionals.
You might also like:
