Voice of the Customer Takeaways: Equinix

On Tuesday, August 23^rd, we hosted our August Voice of the Customer session. Virgin Pulse employees started their day with an influx of energy, passion, and expertise from Bekki Early, Program Manager of Global Wellbeing at Equinix, Inc.

You might recognize Bekki from The Science of Mental Health keynote session at Thrive Summit 2022. We were so pleasantly surprised when she showed up to her Voice of the Customer session sporting her very own Thrive t-shirt (pictured right)!

Equinix, based out of Redwood City, CA, provides data and network hosting and colocation facilities where ISPs, telecommunications carriers, and content providers can locate equipment and interconnect networks and operations. The company also offers colocation-related services to provide clients with cabinets, operating space, and storage. Altogether, Equinix operates more than 240+ data centers around the world, and international customers make up about one-third of sales.

A client of Virgin Pulse since 2016, Equinix takes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, supporting all aspects of the person to ensure total wellbeing for all their employees wherever they are in the world. Currently, Equinix has 4,000 total eligible lives and 59% enrollment in their Virgin Pulse program, garnering 53% engagement in the platform.

To remind you, each Voice of the Customer session is hosted by our Chief Revenue Officer, Andrew Reeves, who conducts an insightful Q&A with our clients to draw out insights, ideas, and inspiration to the entire Virgin Pulse employee community from around the world and now, we’d like to share that insight with the rest of you, too.

Check out our top takeaways from Bekki below:

• Quick and easy access increases engagement. One of the top reasons Bekki loves Virgin Pulse is because it feels like “anti-social media” and in an age where we're so overwhelmed with social media, it doesn’t feel like an obligation to log in when it’s quick and simple. The average time Virgin Pulse members typically spend in the platform each day is under seven minutes, enabling them to “get in, get the things, and then get out and live your best life.” 
  
  What's more, is that these little engagements add up to big savings and major impacts! Equinix, in partnership with Mercer, conducted a study that showed just that - compelling VOI (value on investment) and ROI. View the full case study.
• Social connection increases motivation. For Equinix, Virgin Pulse gives employees a “really beautiful opportunity to connect” with similarly motivated colleagues. Through the platform, members can connect with other members who are also trying to make the same habit and lifestyle changes. Each quarter, Equinix holds a competition to win a massive prize within their LeveledUP! program for members who are trying to reach higher levels within the platform. Once a member hits level four, every 500 points they achieve gets them entered in a drawing to win either a Peloton bike, a rowing machine, or a treadmill desk. Members can continue to accumulate tickets to increase their chances of winning – talk about motivation!
• Adults need to play too. Through Virgin Pulse’s gamification and incentives programs, Equinix can reward members for more than just completing activities within the platform, including internal events which help to real their goals such as attendance and engagement. “And who doesn’t like cash rewards?”
• Equinix looks to Virgin Pulse to solve many of its challenges, including inclusivity and mental health.
  • Inclusivity - With Equinix’s employee population spanning 30+ countries in 240+ data centers and 37+ global office locations within a variety of roles ranging from field workers to executive leadership, it can be challenging to offer an all-inclusive health and wellbeing program. And where the entire organization isn't currently eligible to join the platform yet, there are some that feel a sense of "FOMO". 
  • Mental health - Equinix’s workforce was considered essential workers throughout the pandemic ensuring the internet stayed up and running in even the toughest of times, so although, for the most part, things have begun to settle back into "normalcy" many of their employees are still dealing with the negative effects of this stress on their mental health. 
• DEI is critical to Equinix’s business. At Equinix, DEI is on the top of their lists of priorities to continue growing and weaving into the fabric of who they are as a global organization. Their DEI initiative, known as DIB (diversity, inclusion, and belonging) is owned by their Community and Belonging Team and is present in all 30+ of their locations around the world. Revolving around three main pillars, Equinix focuses on wellbeing, DIB (inclusive of their ERGs i.e., BlackConnect, PrideConnect, Equinix Women’s Leadership Network, GenteConnect, VetConnect, ConnectAbilities, FaithConnect, InterAsianConnect, and more), and We Are Equinix local teams in addition to their Community Impact team (formerly known as Equinix Impact). Through Virgin Pulse, they've amped up their DIB events by plugging in and promoting DIB-related content and challenges, including Healthy Habits (i.e., Bias at Work) to generate awareness and increase participation in DIB in the workplace. 

Don’t forget to check back next month for our takeaways from our September Voice of the Customer session. 

What’s your favorite part of Virgin Pulse? Let us know in the comments below.