Attracting and retaining great employees is a constant challenge for recruiters. When employees are in a position where they can be selective, organisations must go the extra mile.
Employee benefits are one of many things people will consider when weighing up where they want to work. Fitness as a benefit (for example, discounted gym membership) regularly tops the list.
Recruiters and HR personnel have noted a shift towards employees calling the shots in recruitment. With more job opportunities – including increased options for self-employment and contract work – people feel able to be more choosy when accepting job offers.
In this environment, employers need to differentiate themselves by offering benefits that meet a modern workforce’s needs. This includes promoting employee fitness, wellbeing, and work-life balance.
UK statistics highlight the growing importance of fitness as a benefit. According to a 2023 study by Hussle, 63.1% of those surveyed said that discounted gym access is their first choice of corporate benefit. But almost half surveyed (48.3%) said that their employer doesn’t currently offer discounted gym access as a benefit.
Fitness as a corporate benefit is so important to potential employees that it could realistically make or break their decision to accept your job offer, or to refuse an offer of work from a competitor. Organisations who want to attract and retain the best talent need to offer flexible fitness benefits that suit the work and travel patterns of the entire workforce.
Employees can be lost to other organisations, to self-employment, or to ill-health. Offering fitness as a benefit covers all of these risks. As a most-requested benefit, it helps increase retention and reduce loss to other forms of employment. Additionally, as a health and fitness benefit, it boosts people’s physical and mental wellbeing, reducing the risks of absenteeism through poor health or injury.
Losing good employees can have significant financial and operational costs that go beyond the immediate costs of recruitment and training. Losing popular and inspiring employees (especially those in leadership roles) can damage productivity, disrupt team dynamics, and even impact an organisation’s knowledge and skill bank.
High turnover can damage a business’s reputation, making it difficult to attract quality talent in the future. It pays to listen to what people are asking for in employee benefits.
Competitive organisations simply must offer a range of corporate benefits that meet the needs, schedules, and work patterns of their entire workforce. Fitness and wellbeing benefits regularly top the list of what employees want. These could include discounted gym memberships, walking breaks or walking meetings, wellness and nutrition workshops, in-house wellbeing programmes, and wellbeing champions.
People who value health and fitness, and regularly engage in exercise, are more likely to be energised, focused, and productive people. These types of people make great employees, especially at leadership and management level.
Exercise boosts endorphins, reduces stress, demands good time management, and is a strong indicator of a person who takes responsibility for themselves. By offering great fitness benefits, companies can show that they too understand the importance of physical health and wellbeing. In turn, this will lead to better corporate talent acquisition and staff retention.
You can find out more about Hussle’s unique offering of fitness-as-a-benefit by visiting their dedicated website for HR professionals, employee wellbeing/benefits specialists and small business leaders.