Designing Modern Employee Wellbeing Benefits Beyond Gym Discounts
Designed for People & Culture Leads at mid-sized tech startups responsible for revamping employee wellbeing offerings to improve retention and engagement to spark real collaboration and high-energy learning.
A 75-minute hybrid workshop where participants are People & Culture professionals navigating competitive tech hiring and high burnout rates. The group is frustrated by lack of engagement with current 'classic' perks like gym reimbursements, and they face pressure to deliver visible impact without big budgets. Audience pain points include unclear ROI, benefits that don't scale, and skepticism from leadership about nontraditional wellbeing solutions.
Wellbeing Perks Guessing Game
Kick off with a rapid-fire quiz: present five real, unconventional wellbeing benefits from notable startups (e.g., mental health app subscriptions, remote work travel stipends, volunteer time off, caregiving grants, and 'no-meeting Wednesdays'). Ask participants to guess which two received the highest employee satisfaction scores in post-launch surveys.
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Why this works
Curiosity primes attention and helps learners challenge assumptions about what 'counts' as wellbeing. Real examples spark engagement and highlight the diversity of options.
The Gym Discount Myth
Facilitator reveals three common misconceptions about gym discounts: limited accessibility, low sustained usage, and risk of exclusion. Share a quote from an employee: 'I can’t use the gym after picking up my kids, so that benefit means little to me.'
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Why this works
Directly confronting misconceptions helps learners recalibrate their mental models and avoid defaulting to outdated solutions.
Inclusive Benefits Brainstorm
Participants pair up for a low-pressure, timed brainstorm: each duo lists three wellbeing benefits that would resonate with non-traditional tech employees (e.g., caregivers, night-shift engineers, remote workers). Share back via chat or mini-poster.
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Why this works
Gentle collaboration reduces anxiety around ‘right answers’ and surfaces a broader range of ideas, supporting psychological safety and creativity.
Rapid Wellbeing Pitch-Off
Each participant gets 60 seconds to pitch a bold new wellbeing benefit to the group, Shark Tank-style. Use music stings between pitches and encourage energetic reactions with emoji scoring or applause.
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Why this works
High-energy engagement boosts dopamine, breaks up workshop monotony, and gets everyone practicing persuasive communication.
Leadership Buy-In Dilemma
Present a dilemma: 'Your CEO wants measurable ROI for any new wellbeing benefit, but the best options aren’t always quantifiable.' Participants discuss how they would approach this challenge, choosing between three real-world strategies (e.g., pilot programs with feedback loops, peer champions, or external benchmarking).
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Why this works
Dilemmas drive real-world thinking and force learners to weigh practical trade-offs, enhancing transfer to their own work.
Personal Wellbeing Reflection Map
Close with a guided exercise: each participant draws two circles, representing core wellbeing needs at work and at home. They fill them with post-its or digital notes reflecting benefits they wish their company offered, and share one insight with a neighbor or in chat.
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Why this works
Active reflection connects learning to personal experience, boosting relevance and retention. Sharing insights builds empathy and peer support.
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