Recently, the head of a department at a large international cosmetics line contacted my office yoga company. She was looking to hire new talent in her New York City office, and in this competitive market, what interested her the most about office yoga was its ability to set her company apart from competitors. More often, companies are seeing perks like yoga, meditation, and nap rooms as a worthy investment.
Recently, I've seen a huge increase in companies seeking to bring yoga into the office purely for attracting and retaining new employees. Employee retention can be a huge part of a company's success. Finding and training new employees is an expensive task, and once you've found the perfect fit for a position in your company, it's a big loss if they leave.
Perks like yoga, meditation, and naps can attract harder-to-find employees, like software developers and other competitive talent with multiple offers. Beyond that, these perks have real value, and studies show that yoga, meditation, and sleep measurably increase happiness. Companies are recognizing the financial benefits of offering these services.
In addition, companies are starting to recognize the value of happiness amongst their staff. When you are happy, you are more productive, healthier, and more likely to stay in your job. This study shows how happiness and productivity are correlated. By offering a very small fraction of the workday to practice balance and mindfulness, companies are investing in employee's happiness, and so much more. What a great way to increase your company's profits and improve the bottom line.
Lauren Coles is the founder of a Daisy Office Yoga. She teaches yoga and work life balance in offices across New York City.