Seventy-eight percent of professionals have experienced feelings of burnout at some point in their careers, according to new research. The OnePoll study delved into the shifting workplace needs and health concerns of 1,000 employed professionals between the ages of 24 and 40 and found that increasing workloads, an endless barrage of slacks and emails, and end-of-year deadlines are all contributing to professionals feeling exhausted. The study also took a look at the benefits that are actually helping professionals to thrive and tackle burnout, and those benefits that could make a large impact on recruiting and retention efforts. There was one clear winner.
More than half of professionals surveyed (58%) revealed that they would be more likely to accept a job that offered a fitness and wellness package, and the same number would be more likely to stay in their current role if these benefits were offered. One in three professionals who had previously participated in an employer-sponsored wellness or wellbeing program reported lower levels of stress and improved morale.
The results of this study show that wellness benefits will be a necessity for attracting and retaining top talent in 2020. Top companies that compete for superb candidates need to offer benefit packages that illustrate their commitment to the health of their teams. In fact, 88 percent of professionals say they would be more likely to recommend a company as a good place to work if the company supports their well-being efforts. That makes wellness benefits a necessary tool for recruitment, retention, and referrals.
As Head of Corporate Programs at ClassPass, I have spent the past two years working directly with companies of all sizes to implement meaningful benefits that will help employees to improve and manage their stress. Adobe, Facebook, Mitsubishi, Airbnb, and Glossier are just a few of the employers who are already seeing a positive impact from making ClassPass available to their teams. The ClassPass Corporate Program gives employees one easy to use membership that they can use to book a variety of fitness and wellness benefits. The setup is simple: employers subsidize or entirely cover the cost ClassPass credits, and give their employees complete control over how they use their credits towards experiences such as boxing, barre, Pilates, treadmill classes, massages, gym time and more.
We have discovered that there are three key ingredients to making corporate wellness programs successful:
1. Make it simple.
The biggest benefit hurdle I hear most often is difficult reimbursement policies and challenging onboarding processes. HR teams already have enough on their plates as it is, and to manage multiple invoices, receipts and tracking tools can be cumbersome and frustrating. Added to that, is the challenge of onboarding a program that adds more burden to the HR team. Look for a one-and-done program such as ClassPass that will minimize the amount of setup required. It should be as simple as possible for a team member to get started with your benefits.
2. Make it global.
The average business traveler takes seven trips a year. Professionals want a benefit that will travel with them and help them to keep their routine on the go. ClassPass is a clear winner in the global category, as we provide access to 26,000 boutique studios, gyms, and wellness providers worldwide, in almost 30 countries. It’s seamless to book a 45-minute cycling class, a hot yoga session or even a massage (available in our wellness options) between meetings. Look for a benefit that is going to be easy for your full company to take advantage of, whether in their hometown on the go.
3. Make it social.
The most important element of any new benefit is getting the word out. Get early buy-in from vocal team members and team leaders who can spread the word to others and post frequently about the benefits in a slack channel. Encourage teams to work out together – two in three of the surveyed professionals felt working out with a colleague would help to build camaraderie in the workplace. With ClassPass, employees can opt into sharing their workouts with colleagues and tagging along for classes. We have also seen companies organize department-wide competitions, such as tracking which team racks up the highest number of hours of usage and doing a healthy lunch for the winners.
Regardless of which benefits you offer, be vocal about their existence. With 75% of professionals surveyed responding that it’s their employer’s responsibility to contribute to their health and well-being, make sure you communicate that you are a company that prioritizes programs that tackle burnout and improve employee well-being.
About the author: Nicole Wolfe, is Head of Corporate Programs at ClassPass.
