Global fitness brand and proud partner of the British Olympic Association (BOA), Fitness First has been awarded a two star employee engagement accreditation by workplace engagement specialists Best Companies.
Raising the bar
The club’s overall score is equivalent to being ranked 51st on the Sunday Times’ list of the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For, having improved on its one star rating over the course of seven months. The company’s success is underpinned by its investment of £21m in training and skills progression globally, including the launch of its comprehensive Raise the Bar development programme. The programme takes the shape of three workshops aiming to educate members about leadership, environment and service experience.
Fitness First seeks to engage all employees with the new brand image and philosophy, to ensure that every staff and club member receives an experience that leaves them motivated, inspired and energised to go further.
Neil Tune, UK human resources director for Fitness First, said, “Significant investment in our Raise the Bar programme has truly brought the brand’s new vision to life over the past seven months.”
Shifting the focus
Employee engagement has also been lifted by the club’s focus on upgrading facilities, as well as its partnership with the BOA as the first ever official fitness partner, supporting the Team GB athletes as they embark on their road to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Looking at the road ahead, a key focus will be on the introduction of a new recognition scheme and ‘wellness days’, which will seek to improve the general well-being of Fitness First employees, as well as a greater transparency and improved communication of benefits packages. The company will also aim to improve ways of giving back to the community by further promoting charitable opportunities for staff to engage in.
Jonathan Austin, founder and chief executive of Best Companies, said, “Fitness First has demonstrated just how serious it is about building high-performance teams to deliver a quality customer experience that is the brand.”
Find out who won at the Training awards here
