Supporting the hybrid workplace with Experience / Anywhere

The pandemic has accelerated the move to a more hybrid workplace—one that allows employees to be more productive while being their best selves, from just about anywhere. It’s not a trend. It’s here to stay. 

And with record numbers of employees looking for new jobs or leaving their positions without new ones, organizations must more closely consider the needs of employees to improve their overall experience and attract and retain talent. According to JLL’s 2021 Four Foundational Truths research:

• 63% of the workforce wants to keep the possibility to alternate between different places of work in the future
• 88% of the workforce would like more flexible working hours in the future, compared with 71% a year ago
• 59% of workers say work-life balance is their top priority in a job—ahead of pay

To address these needs, JLL is thinking beyond improving employee experience in the traditional, pre-pandemic office environment. Experience / Anywhere is an innovative solution to help organizations support employees, no matter where they work. It consists of the Hub and a Program Manager. 

The Hub, a subscription-based portal, provides easy access to resources, tools, and events that help the day run more smoothly and help employees to be more productive. Well-being on-demand sessions and live classes address workers’ holistic wellness—physical, mental, and social. The Program Manager communicates with employees to drive awareness of these resources, promotes participation in wellness challenges and engages the community.

Establishing pre-pilot benchmarks

JLL leadership believed so strongly in Experience / Anywhere that they gave approximately 1,400 U.S. employees who have flexibility in where they work the opportunity to participate in a pilot program. To measure the impact of Experience / Anywhere on the employee experience, pre-pilot benchmarking data was gathered. It revealed what Human Resources suspected as top challenges for employees, including the need for:

• More well-being support
• More ergonomics support
• More engagement with colleagues

Activating Experience / Anywhere

To launch Experience / Anywhere, participating employees received a warm welcome from the Program Manager and gained access to the Hub using their JLL credentials. 

Using the Hub, employees could purchase office supplies and commercial-grade home office furniture at a discount, enroll in DoorDash’s DashPass for free meal delivery and reduced fees, access online ergonomics training and assessment, and receive a discounted rate for at-home meal kits. In addition, employees were encouraged to explore activities to support physical, mental and social well-being, such as:

• Physical: on-demand stretching, recovery, yoga, and nutrition videos
• Mental: on-demand guided meditation, mindfulness exercises and breathwork
• Social: live events to connect colleagues and build culture

The Program Manager scheduled twice weekly live physical well-being classes that were accessible to all levels and abilities. The Program Manager also curated a robust list of live events including a class on retirement planning, a session on the science of happiness, a virtual art gallery tour, and a workshop on finding your career passion. 

Participants could choose to receive wellness breaks on their calendars during a time that works best for them, known as “Sips of Wellness.” These wellness breaks were scheduled for employees and contained a link to short on-demand activities they could complete in 20 minutes or less. The Program Manager also launched wellness challenges focused on various activities, encouraging participation by engaging with pilot participants using internal social channels, occasionally offering giveaways, and reminding the group about new challenges.

Measuring results

Results after the 90-day pilot are strong. Employees reported reduced risk of ergonomics injuries, increased engagement, improved work-life balance, and enhanced well-being—which all add up to a better overall experience.

Reduced risk of employee ergonomic injuries and praise for ergonomics training

• 55% reduction in ergo injuries for employees with medium / high risk of injury
• 98% of employees found the solution very effective
• 89% would recommend the training to a colleague

Increased employee engagement

• 53% of the pilot population used the Hub features, particularly the well-being activities (Benchmark: 15-20%)

The Hub had very high employee adoption, compared to other well-being program investments. This success is largely attributed to focused employee engagement efforts from the Program Manager.

Improved employee work-life balance

• 30% of employees used company-paid DashPass for subsidized meal delivery service (Benchmark: 18%)
• 79% of employees surveyed said DashPass saves them time, reporting an average time savings of two hours/ week/employee

A minimal investment can have a big impact in employees’ lives. 90% of employees said they would miss the benefit if they no longer had it.

Employee well-being continues to improve

• 58% of employees participated in Sips of Wellness guided well-being breaks

The Program Manager builds a relationship with employees, giving them a unique opportunity to relay feedback they receive. During the pilot, a subset of the group shared that they did not feel empowered to prioritize taking breaks during the workday to focus on their well-being. As a result, leadership is taking a more active role to champion the Hub and encouraging employees to participate in well-being activities and resources.

Supports employee retention and attraction efforts

• 68% of employees agreed that access to the Hub shows that JLL cares about their well-being
• 100% of employees reported a higher likelihood to recommend JLL to a friend after experiencing the DashPass perk

Assessing potential business impact

JLL leaders were impressed with the results, noting the improvement in productivity and savings. Cost savings are based on employees reporting pain in the last two weeks of the study*:

• Incremental $27,451 in labor productivity
• $264,000 savings in a year from lost hours and medical costs
• Projected avoidance of $266,522 in lost hours due to ergonomics injuries

Additional pilots were launched in India and Australia, and upon learning the results of this pilot, many other business units have expressed interest in expanding Experience / Anywhere to their groups.

To learn more, contact:

Seane Shaw
Experience Services Sales Lead
seane.shaw@am.jll.com

_{*To calculate the savings above, the following assumptions were made:}

• _{$50,750 average employee salary}
• _{240 working days per year}
• _{Added $24,315 to cover administrator time to manage the program}