Gym stipends, a fridge full of vitamin waters, weight loss challenges, meditation apps and more. These are some of the most common wellness benefits found in the corporate world. I am a Registered Dietitian and have seen and been a part of a variety of wellness programs in different industries from private equity to CPG to healthcare. 

In the beginning of my career I thought these perks were great, but as I’ve sharpened my own practitionership, I now realize the lack of investment these programs had in me and my teammates. All you can eat granola bars, Crossfit memberships, and happy hours will only support your employee experience so much. Typical corporate wellness programs are often empty gestures that check the box but don’t take real action in areas like work + life balance, managing burnout, and creating a culture where employees feel valued. I believe the disconnect comes from leaders not understanding what true well-being in the workplace means and therefore don’t know how to support it. After speaking with colleagues and friends across many industries, the areas that people require more support are highly personal and there is no one size fits all approach to well-being.  So, what’s missing? A personalized, human-centered approach that considers employees true needs in and outside of the workplace.

Understanding Well-being

Let’s start with the word “wellness”. The definition of wellness is the “absence of illness” or a “healthy lifestyle”. While preventing chronic disease should of course be a priority, it is just the beginning. The same thing goes in the workplace, preventing turnover is of course a priority, but why not get to the root of what keeps your employees engaged, happy and productive. I have personally left jobs for reasons surrounding culture, work life balance, and lack of purpose or alignment. Work should be additive to one’s life and it starts with taking the time to invest in your team as a whole. Our position at Thoughtium is that wellness is out, and well-being is in. Well-being includes all of the major facets of one’s life, from your career to relationships, to your physical, financial, spiritual, and social health. For employers, the costs of poor employee well-being go far beyond insurance -- they ultimately impact employee engagement, productivity and performance. 

68% of senior HR leaders rated employee well-being and mental health as a top priority while only 25% of U.S. employees strongly agree that their organization cares about their overall well-being (Gallup). 

I have always been hungry to learn and add more skills to my toolbelt, I’m a Capricorn after all. But, as a Registered Dietitian, I wasn’t sure how applicable my skills would be in the consulting environment. The first draw to Thoughtium was the people. Our team is a diverse group of people who are high achievers that are dedicated to learning and growing as people and professionals, sound familiar? The second draw was that our work is rooted in co-creation and relationships first. I quickly learned we aren’t your typical consultants. We design and deliver human centered experiences to unlock human potential and inspire growth. With our clients, we tackle topics like emotional intelligence, how to navigate change, and how to sustainably grow a thriving business. And therefore, we make it a priority for our team. You could say our say:do ratio is high, which has resulted in a culture of belonging, high engagement, and a team that genuinely enjoys being in the work together. 

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A Human Centered Approach 

According to Forbes, when people feel rested, nourished, safe, and that they belong, they are able to achieve peak performance, which has been shown to increase productivity by 500%. When we think about the well-being of our teams, we need to go further than their physical health and think about how we can instill a culture that nurtures personal and professional development, prioritizes individuality, and ultimately grounds an organization in a collective sense of purpose. 

Taking a human centered approach is about making an investment in the whole person, not just the employee. We know that well-being is defined differently by each individual and is made up of people’s life experience, values, and incorporates many areas of one’s life. This isn’t Severance (IYKYK Adam Scott). We can’t and shouldn’t completely dissociate from our work selves at home or from our home selves at work. We are whole human beings and should be treated and function as such. The pandemic has led a growing number of workers to re-evaluate their career goals (Forbes). The future of work is beyond remote work and zoom calls. It is about creating a culture where humans thrive and well-being is much more than a buzzword. 

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Invest in your Team

Last summer our team had the privilege of going on an offsite with Sand and Salt Escapes. I know what you’re thinking when you hear the word “offsite”, a room full of employees hearing their leadership team talk about our priorities, strategies, and goals. Our retreat with Sand and Salt Escapes, led by the amazing Max Schneider, was a completely reimagined offsite experience and was nowhere near the typical information marathon. The priority was to create space for our team to connect with ourselves and each other with the number one priority being to invest in the team as human beings - not human doings. With an emphasis on movement, mindfulness, and connection our team was able to get to know each other on a deeper level in a space that allowed us to recharge, establish trust and truly feel invested in each other and our mission. I left this offsite with a newfound appreciation for the group of people I am lucky enough to work with. This experience instilled a new sense of belonging and trust in the mission of our organization that I have never quite felt before, even in very tight knit work environments. 

The same way companies are obsessed with the customer journey or investing in their R&D to produce the best possible product, companies should be obsessed with improving their employee experience and investing in their team's growth. As a Registered Dietitian and as a driver of all things people + culture at Thoughtium, I believe in operating from a preventative and proactive approach rather than a reactive one. The same way that I want to help someone build habits and a lifestyle before they have a chronic disease, I want to help people find meaning and joy in their workplace + life before they are drained and miserable. The reality is that your people are your biggest asset, your biggest investment, and when your team thrives and feels fulfilled and satisfied, so will your work and your clients.