Livia de Bastos Martini
Chief People Officer
Wellhub
Episode 317
Employee Well-being: Beyond a Perk, It's Your Strategic Business Imperative
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 4, 2025 · 12:52
Thesis
“Companies must view employee well-being as a strategic investment, not a perk, as it directly drives business success through improved engagement, retention, and reduced costs by addressing diverse individual needs.”
Show notes
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo welcomes Livia, a seasoned HR executive, to discuss her dynamic career journey from investment banking to management consulting, and eventually to her current role in the people function at WellHub. Livia highlights the growing importance of workplace wellness, the necessity for personalized wellness programs across different regions and generations, and how digital tools and flexible wellness programs are shaping the future of workplace wellness. She emphasizes the strategic value of wellness programs in increasing employee engagement and retention, and shares practical advice for companies to create a supportive environment for their employees. The episode underscores the critical role of HR in fostering a culture of well-being and its tangible benefits for both employees and organizations.00:16 Sponsorship Message from Previ00:44 Meet Livia: Career Journey and Transition03:47 The Importance of Workplace Wellness05:47 Tailoring Wellness Programs for Diverse Needs08:17 Future Trends in Hybrid Wellness Programs10:00 The Strategic Value of Wellness Programs11:40 Final Thoughts and Parting Advice12:45 Closing Remarks
What you'll take away
- 1Employees value well-being as much as salary (88% agree), and 83% would consider leaving a company that doesn't prioritize wellness, a significant increase from 68% in 2022.
- 2Flexible and personalized wellness programs yield the greatest impact on engagement and retention, as 'one-size-fits-all' approaches fail to meet the diverse needs of different generations and global regions.
- 3HR leaders must leverage data to understand specific employee needs and foster a culture that encourages wellness, recognizing trends like midday wellness activities and the 'wellness hour' at 6 PM.
- 4Wellness programs are a strategic investment, not merely a perk, offering measurable benefits such as reduced absenteeism, healthcare costs, and burnout, while boosting engagement and retention.
- 5Companies should prioritize their people, build cohesive cultures, actively listen to teams, and proactively create supportive environments where individuals can thrive both personally and professionally.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Livia de Bastos Martini strongly asserts that wellness programs are 'absolutely not a nice-to-have' and 'way too far from a perk nowadays,' pushing back on the conventional view that they are optional benefits.
In Livia's words
“Today, we can see that the employees value well-being as much as salary. One of the surveys that we conducted said that this is true for 88% of the people.”
Highlights the significant shift in employee priorities towards well-being, elevating it to the same importance as financial compensation.
“If the company does not prioritize wellness, 83% of them say that they would consider leaving a company. And this from our surveys has evolved from 68% in 2022.”
Provides concrete data demonstrating the direct link between wellness prioritization and employee retention, showing a rapid increase in this trend.
“If you have something that's one size fits all, it doesn't really work anymore. You can't catch all of the intricacies of the people working at your company. Different individuals have different needs.”
Emphasizes the critical need for personalized and flexible wellness solutions to cater to a diverse workforce effectively.
“Our data shows that hybrid program participants are more engaged with the company and much less likely to leave. And we all know, everybody who works in HR knows that hiring, firing, training is just extremely expensive.”
Connects wellness program participation directly to business outcomes like engagement, retention, and cost savings related to HR operations.
“People drive business success, so whatever you do to help your people, make them feel valued, supported, is the best way to create the best business results. This is absolutely not a nice-to-have. Everybody has to do that.”
This strong concluding statement reinforces the core thesis: people-centric strategies, especially around wellness, are fundamental for business success.
The problems this episode addresses
- •High employee turnover risk due to lack of prioritized wellness programs (83% of employees would consider leaving).
- •Ineffective or low-engagement wellness programs resulting from a 'one-size-fits-all' approach.
- •Increasing absenteeism, healthcare costs, and employee burnout without adequate wellness support.
- •Challenges in attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive market where employees 'shop' for companies prioritizing well-being.
- •Difficulty in justifying HR investments and demonstrating tangible ROI for people-centric initiatives to leadership.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
You started your career in investment banking before moving into management consulting
MRK: My Career Journey
If company does not prioritize wellness, 83% of employees would consider leaving, survey finds
Employee demand for workplace Well-being
What trends in hybrid wellness programs and digital tools are shaping future of employee wellness
How to Leverage the Hybrid Wellness Program
Companies need to focus on their people, Livia says
Livia On Built by People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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