If we don’t have our health, what do we have?
We’re sure you want to create the ideal workplace for your team. After all, it would be impossible for your company to succeed without them.
However, nailing down that idea of an ideal work culture that makes people feel excited to come to work every day is difficult. Each of your team members is unique, and with their uniquenesses comes a different list of what makes them feel comfortable and appreciated at work.
Some may prefer an upbeat workspace that motivates them to constantly be on the move, while others want a place of zen where they can feel at peace with the world as they carry out their daily routine. But one thing everyone in your company can agree on is that they want to be healthy.
Humans want to feel cared for, and one major aspect of that care is the value we place on our health. As an employer, you have the opportunity to provide your team members with the peace of mind that their health is a primary concern at work — and we don’t just mean offering a benefits package.
At DotConnect, we believe that humans are just that — human. We all have individual wants and needs in our lives, and many of them stem from the desire to lead a healthy life. When it comes down to it, your people want to work at a place where they can be confident that their health comes first. But what does that look like?
We’re glad you asked!
Today we’re going to take a look at companies that excel at taking care of the holistic nature of their employees, tackle what it means to provide a health-conscious environment for your team, and explore budget-friendly ways to promote a healthier lifestyle.
What Companies Excel at Caring for Their Employees’ Health and Wellness?
Health and wellness are more than a trip to the gym, and the following companies have a good grasp on what it means to care for their team’s health.
As you check out our list of high achievers in employee wellness, feel free to set aside some of their strategies to implement at your office. You may not have a campus that spans hundreds of acres for outdoor recreation or room to accommodate an on-site spa, but there’s always something to take away from the top performers in any category.
So, without further ado, let’s look at some of the highest-ranked companies for wellness:
We all know that Google is known for the outstanding benefits they provide for their staff. They offer flexible hours, vacation time, and PTO for volunteer work, so it makes sense that their health and wellness programs stay true to their excellent work-life balance ideals.
Google’s campus offers health and wellness programs that include an on-site physician, chiropractic treatment, physical therapists, and massage services, but that’s only part of it. They also offer top-of-the-line fitness centers complete with physical trainers, gym classes, and a community biking group.
And even though all of these programs are amazing, they’re not what stands out the most about Google’s health and wellness programs. To us, it’s their mental wellness activities that really shine. They offer various classes to stimulate the mind, including cooking classes and guitar lessons. And if that’s not enough, they also offer financial wellness resources like access to financial advisors and planning services.
Asana
Workflow management wouldn’t be possible for many companies without the software Asana provides, but task organization is only the beginning of what makes the company great. Asana has been recognized as one of the best places to work five years in a row by Fortune, and one service offered at Asana HQ stands out in particular, but we’ll get to that in a second.
Inclusion is at the core of Asana’s corporate culture. Its goal is to build an environment that is intentional about making an environment where employees can be their whole selves. They hold Real Talk events to hold honest conversations that empower their team to be the best versions of themselves possible.
Now, if their dedication to creating an inclusive environment wasn’t enough to sell you on how they care for their team’s mental health, check this out. Asana offers nap rooms — yes, you heard us right, nap rooms — that allow their employees to check out and recharge at work.
If company-wide forums dedicated to genuine self-expression and rooms dedicated to sleep don’t scream, “We want our employees to be their best selves!” we don’t know what does.
SAS
As a key player in analytics software, SAS understands that numbers tell a unique story, and when it comes to employee happiness, their numbers don’t lie. SAS ranks within the top 15 of the World’s Best Workplaces, its turnover rate is under half of the industry standard, and its tenure rate is an average of 12 years.
So what makes SAS so great? They take a holistic approach to their employees’ well-being through their Total Rewards program. SAS prides itself on taking care of its people and offers everything from a recreation and fitness center for employees and dependents to an onsite salon.
SAS also offers subsidized healthcare for all its employees, childcare, and cafés with various healthy food options. Additionally, the onsite Work/Life center provides assistance for employees in all stages of life to help them make wise decisions for the future.
You Can Improve Health and Wellness at Your Company
You don’t need to spend millions of dollars to make an impact with your health and wellness programs.
We know that every company doesn’t have the budget or space to create the environments that Google, SAS, and Asana are known for, but you can definitely take steps to help your employees be their best selves.
In our opinion, the little things can go a long way when it comes to making a healthy difference in the lives of your team. As a leader in your business, you can take a few steps that help people focus on health and wellness at work.
Ways to help your team focus on health and wellness
People spend roughly one-third of their lives working, so it is essential to create a work environment that focuses on your team’s well-being. When it comes to improving health and wellness, every bit counts.
At Dot, we’ve found that these things help us stay on track both physically and mentally:
- Make exercising easy. Give your team some time to be active throughout the day. We start each day with some dancing time over Zoom to get us moving and keep things light mentally.
- Take a break. It may seem like something your team already does, but how many people eat at their desks at your office? Give your team opportunities to break throughout the day so they can go eat, take a walk, or just spend time interacting.
- Be approachable. As the leader at your company, your team needs to be comfortable enough to approach you with their challenges — personal or professional. It deepens your connection with your people and lets them know that you genuinely care.
- Provide resources. You won’t have all the health and wellness answers for your team, but you can point them to someone who can help. Whether you refer them to your stellar HR professionals or someone outside your organization, providing them with resources shows that you’re invested in your team’s well-being.
- Team build. Give your team a chance to really get to know each other by providing team-building opportunities. Find out the common interests of your team, and plan a day to do activities together. It could be something small like a bowling night, camping, or going on a hike. Whatever it may be, make sure you cover the bill to invest in your team!
Budget-Friendly Ideas for Improving Health and Wellness at Work
Investing in health and wellness can get pricey without much effort — especially if you’re thinking about turning that empty conference room into a workout facility — but you don’t have to break the bank with the improvements you make around your company.
Here are some low-cost ideas that can make a big difference in health and wellness at your business:
- Provide healthy food options. You don’t need an organic, meatless, keto-friendly, gluten-free café to help your team make better food choices. It can be as simple as replacing the soda and junk food in your vending machines with healthier options like dried fruit, granola, water, and juices.
- Focus on prevention. Motivate your team by offering rewards for making healthy choices like exercising and drinking water. Or, you could hold workshops on the steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle. At Dot, we love to think outside the box and offer morning yoga, breathwork, and meditation classes over Zoom whenever we can!
- Hold a healthy competition. Being competitive isn’t always the route you need to go at work, but when it comes to health and wellness, a little friendly competition doesn’t hurt. Encourage your staff to train for a 5k, join an obstacle course race, or have the team members with Apple Watches challenge each other to see who can close their rings consistently.
- Offer water for free. You can positively impact the lives of your team members and the environment by investing in filtered water and offering plastic-free water bottles to your crew for an eco-friendly water option. It’s a win-win.
- Give good gifts. If you like to give employees gifts on their birthdays or holidays, find a way to keep them healthy. Instead of making baked goods or going the Starbucks gift card route, gift your team members with a spa day or massage. You can also make the gifts more personal by learning how your team members like to stay active and building the gift around that activity!
Connect the Health and Wellness Dots at Your Company
Focusing on health and wellness at your business does more than just improve your team’s physical health — it also motivates them to help your company succeed. When your people know they are cared for at work, they are more excited to come to work and put in their best effort while they’re at the office.
Your people should be at the center of everything you do as a business owner. After all, you wouldn’t be able to run your company yourself. You will see outstanding results when you focus on your team’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Trust us — we’ve experienced it firsthand with our team!
At DotConnect, we’re experienced talent advisors that spend time coaching and supporting our candidates to help you make an impact. We’ve helped companies like Beautycounter, Samsung NEXT, and Zendesk build their dream teams, and we’d love to do the same for you. To learn more about the results of working with us, check out our case studies. Our results speak for themselves!
If you’re ready to make a change and work with a talent advisory company that’s dedicated to your team’s health, reach out to us. We have the tools you need to make a more significant impact with your hiring process.