Why Feat Works in the Office: On Trial with Airbnb
The workplace is turning out to be a perfect place to implement Feat programs. Why? Because the office provides a closed environment to target individuals in making positive, health-related change in a collaborative community. The Airbnb pilot program runs from late November to mid-Februrary, and with 120 participants it’s showing there’s always room for improvement when it comes to office initiatives for health.
The average person spends over 90,000 hours of their life at work so why not make the environment a healthy and productive one? Research shows that employees who eat healthy all day long were 25% more likely to have higher job performance, while employees who exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week were 15% more likely to have higher job performance. Other studies show that employees are 10% more engaged when provided healthy food options and 18% more engaged when provided time for healthy activities, which is exactly what Feat aims to do, and more.
When launching Feat for Airbnb, we wanted to go beyond the move more, eat better idea and really encourage improved office dynamics for optimal workplace productivity. That meant outlining five core areas where Feat opens up opportunities to increase value and create change in the workplace. While always maintaining a bottom line of increased wellbeing, Feat also targets the following areas.
Team Building & Community Creation
Working in an office is often all about finding a balance between individual achievement and team collaboration. Team building means working together towards a common goal and the Feat program for Airbnb provides an alternative collaboration opportunity beyond just the typical day to day office goals. By tracking Feat team metrics (how much physical activity and sleep participants undertook) and offering rewards such as meditation sessions, cooking classes, and food tastings for teams rather than individuals, Feat for Airbnb makes community a priority in the Airbnb program.
While team building and community creation were top drivers in the Feat program, presenting straightforward common goals for teams opened up opportunities for individuals to engage in crucial skills such as collaboration, value sharing, and effective communication. Feat wants to strengthen workplace dynamics by putting together teams of individuals that might not typically interact on a typical day, but still help them achieve a common goal.
Engagement, Fun & Entertainment
Interact. Have fun. Seek pleasure. Feat wants healthy habits to be entertaining. That’s why our office place programs are designed to keep participants engaged. Companies are starting to use gamification as a way to increase productivity and keep work engaging. Feat is using the same methods not just to encourage employees to work for their wellness, but also to open up an avenue of entertainment in the workplace but not necessarily for the workplace. Feat encourages getting up, moving around and provides motivation through our rewards to do that. And you know what? Taking a break at work is a good thing, for employers who reap productivity rewards and for employees who feel better, work better and have fun.
Perceived Wellness & Interest in Wellness
Wellness is a hot topic work in the past couple of years. People want to feel good, healthy and happy. Not to mention health and wellness are integral parts of a sustainable work future and it is essential for people to be healthy both physically and mentally in order to thrive. Establishing interest in wellness related topics can help to enhance productivity, improve morale, decrease absenteeism, increase retention. Feat helps to create a way of life in the workplace that integrates healthy practices into everyday work activities while providing information on how to work towards increased wellness.
How can we make improvements without correct information? That’s where Feat steps in. Through rewards and in-app communications that provide tips, tricks and healthy hints, Feat for Airbnb offers educational information on what it means to be healthy, stay healthy and improve wellbeing.
Company Attention and Care
Love your job? You’ll work harder. This month’s Entrepreneur magazine talks about how to gain employee trust. Top on the list? How management treats employees. Feat for Airbnb is opening up space not only for employees to feel good, but for employers to make a statement about how they care for their workers. A happy employee who is having fun, taking breaks and learning about self-improvement is more likely to remain loyal to their company than one who feels undervalued. By just taking a couple steps, employees participating in Feat have the chance to create value and earn tangible rewards.
Health Consciousness
Being health conscious isn’t just about knowing what keeps us fit, healthy and happy. It’s using our knowledge to implement behavior and take corrective action when not feeling well. In addition to Feat at Airbnb being used as a platform to distribute information about healthy practices, the program also opens up space to practice these healthy habits. Sometimes the workplace can feel constrictive to healthy behavior: desk lunch, little movement, a lot of screen time. But when there is an incentive to and also permission (from the company) to engage in making small daily healthy habits, then employees can implement health consciousness more easily.
The good news is that like its participants, Feat is dynamic. It’s a program that is flexible and customizable according to where and how it is implemented. In the office Feat is proving to be a valuable resource for employers and employees both. Small steps are the start to big change, and Feat hopes to be part of a workplace revolution, making the office a space where health and happiness are valued at every level. Join us!
