Maximising employee productivity through an attractive wellness program

Guest feature by Alex Addison, Founder, We Leap

Any successful company understands the importance of investing in their staff. When an employee feels valued, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged with their work. Focused employees breed productivity, fostering a positive environment whereby teams work cohesively and ultimately drive success to the business.

Companies can demonstrate investment in their employees in a number of ways. Finding the most effective method is where the challenge lies. Healthy hedonism is the newfound trend of the moment and companies need to capitalise on this and truly give their employees what they want. Through providing a well thought out corporate wellness solution, businesses can meet their employees’ needs, helping them to reach their full potential in the workplace.

 

Knowledge is power

With the rise in technology and ease of access to fitness data through wearable tech, we are more engaged in our health than ever. Individuals don’t just want to go to the gym and train, they want to learn how best to look after themselves. Businesses can support this interest by hosting in-house workshops, lunch and learns and wellness breakfasts, bringing in specialists to talk on topics such as nutrition, psychology and exercise for mental health. Not only will this engage staff, but it will give them the knowledge to follow healthier and more constructive habits. Companies like We Leap offer access to expert speakers in the wellness industry, helping to provide staff with the insights they need to succeed. They will even help departments entice more attendees to talks, keeping costs down per head, so budgets can go that little bit further.

 

Flexible solutions

 We live in a world where the nine to five job is no longer the norm. Millennials in particular want flexibility and the opportunity to work in and around other engagements. Companies can demonstrate their understanding of this by offering flexi-time and the ability to work remotely. This places no additional costs on the business, but adds tremendous value to staff, which is ultimately evident in your bottom line. Employees embrace the opportunity to miss rush hour commutes, work in a more comfortable setting and be in greater control of their daily schedules. The result, they feel appreciated and thus work harder and more efficiently.

 

Optimal nutrition

 A recent study by ukactive found that one in five office workers do not leave their desk over their lunch break. If they do, it’s usually for a quick and convenient snack – nutrition often goes out the window. This is not conducive to optimal concentration levels. Food is fuel and the brain needs this to function effectively. Here lies a quick and easy solution. Companies should consider providing nutritious food options on site, which will reduce the chance of that afternoon slump. Fresh fruit can cost as little as £12 a week, but the increase in output it provides from staff far out ways the expense.

 

A little greenery

Corporate offices often get a bad name, sporting rows of plain white desks with little variation or personality. Who does their best work in such a lackluster environment anyway? Businesses should consider investing in their office décor. Companies like Patch will deliver plants, maintaining them so they will stay fresh week on week. The benefits of this are long sort after, as five medium plants for every 20m² cleans the air by 75% by absorbing airborne pollutants. It’s amazing what difference you can make to the office’s mood and focus by adding a little bit of life to the room.

Businesses can benefit immensely from investing in their staff’s health, providing a well thought out and tailored solution to corporate wellness. Companies need to evaluate the services they currently provide and see how they can adapt their offering to get more from staff. Even the smallest change to nutrition, time management and the environment can make a huge difference to productivity levels and there really isn’t much cost involved. By making that small, but simple change today, businesses can see vast improvements tomorrow.