Rethinking Success: Why Corporate Giants Are Betting on Well-Being

Corporate Success: A Changing Paradigm

Corporate success has been traditionally measured as the number of hours worked (billed), the number of clients won, or the level of promotion achieved. While the world's most prestigious consulting firms have often reflected an outwardly successful image through their gleaming boardrooms, there is a growing recognition that productive working conditions cannot be maintained when employees do not have some measure of wellness.

The contemporary workforce is seeking more than just the ability to be productive, it is seeking balance, a sense of community, and overall well-being while performing at high levels in a fast-paced work environment. As a result, major consulting firms, long known for their long hours and relentless client demands, are now driving this culture shift. As examples, PwC's "Be Well, Work Well" program offers a comprehensive approach to employee wellness; while McKinsey & Company has conducted extensive research on the link between employee purpose and mental health, forming the foundation for its broader insights into employee well-being.

Rebranding Success with Energy and Balance

Wellness is being transitioned from an "incentive" at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) into an overall strategy. They are using their "Be Well, Work Well" program to get employees thinking about wellness as fuel for performance, rather than as something separate from work itself. The program emphasizes six dimensions of health - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial, and social, to reinforce that people have many aspects of energy and therefore many ways to be healthy. Tools are given to employees to assist them in recovery and developing resilience and self-awareness; they are reinforced with the notion that success and wellness do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Studies conducted by PwC demonstrate that promoting better habits in employee's lifestyles enhances their ability to focus and reduce absenteeism, thus demonstrating a direct link between employee wellness and measurable business results (PwC, 2024).

Business Efficiency Redefined

McKinsey & Co., long known as the gold standard for business efficiency, has shifted its focus toward reframing wellness as a valuable economic resource. McKinsey & Co.'s research into "Well-Being in the Workplace" examines how mental health, sense of purpose, and physical vitality are linked to sustained productivity.

According to McKinsey's Health Institute, improving employee well-bei