SFI Health is committed to creating a positive work environment that supports the growth and wellbeing of its employees. In an effort to highlight the efforts of our HR team in achieving this goal, we spoke with Dana Dean, Head of HR Americas, about her approach to employee wellness, diversity and inclusion, communication, and hiring practices.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I take great pleasure in being able to help staff achieve their personal career goals and being a part of designing and supporting the organization to achieve our overall growth plan. At the end of the day, I truly enjoy being a champion for both people and the company.

What does employee wellness mean to you and what actions do you take to support it?

Since Covid, employee wellness has taken on a whole new meaning. We used to focus on providing wellness programs that emphasized preventative measures to avoid illnesses.

Today, we are more conscious of how an employee’s emotional wellbeing impacts their job satisfaction, and we strive to provide wellness programs that promote physical and mental fitness. To support employee wellness in the Americas, we offer programs like the EAP (Employee Assistance Program), which provides employees with educational, mental, and financial support.

We have also created employee engagement activities, individual career development opportunities, and award recognition programs that support job satisfaction.

How do you promote diversity and inclusion, and what initiatives have you implemented to support these values?

As diversity is one of our core values, we are cultivating a workplace where all employees are encouraged and empowered to speak up and share their ideas. One of the ways we encourage employees to share their ideas is through our Dare to Dream program, where anyone can submit an idea, where every idea is reviewed and responded to, and where employees can earn recognition and rewards.

What events do you organise for employees, and why?

Our employee engagement committee (EEC) does an excellent job of organising unique and fun events each year. So far this year, we’ve held an Employee Appreciation Day event with a Bagel Buffet, and a Candy-gram event where employees could send an appreciation Lolli-pop to each other. One of my favorite events is our Thanksgiving Turkey giveaway, where an employee can take home a frozen turkey or donate it to one of our non-profit charities for a family in need of a meal.

How do you foster a culture of open and honest communication?

I believe it starts with each of us as leaders to make it a part of our company culture. Honest communication happens when we communicate early and often and show respect to everyone. We include our teams in decision-making by asking how they would solve a problem. We do this formally by conducting an annual anonymous survey on topics that are integral to the organisation.

How do you ensure our hiring practices align with SFI Health’s vision and values?

I strive to hire talent whose personal values align with SFI Health values. I look for people who have integrity and passion, people who desire to make a difference and welcome challenge and opportunity.

Have we missed anything important that you would like to discuss?

None of us can do this alone, nor are we successful on our own. I feel fortunate to have a leadership team that supports our initiatives and a talented executive team to work with, and most importantly, really great employees that I hope do feel appreciated because I am so very proud of them and what they contribute to the organization every single day.