Right Management, a Manpower Company, Cites Employer Wellness Programs as a Building Block for Competitive Advantage During the Economic Recovery

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Right Management, a subsidiary of Manpower Inc., a world leader in the employment services industry and a strategic partner of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, released a white paper today titled, "The Wellness Imperative: Creating More Effective Organizations." The paper reveals findings that clearly demonstrate a strong connection between an organization's wellness initiatives and its competitive edge.

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"When thoughtfully integrated into overall strategy, wellness is a powerful positive driver of employee engagement, productivity and performance," said Owen Sullivan, Manpower Inc. EVP and CEO of Right Management. "In the recovery, success will depend on creating and sustaining a competitive advantage; this survey demonstrates wellness initiatives as an important key to building that edge."

While wellness is typically thought to encompass straightforward physical and psychological health, Right Management's study shows that a broader understanding is what leads to positive benefits for an organization. Results of the study include:

• Employees are 8 times more likely to be engaged when wellness is a priority in the workplace;
• An organization is 4 times more likely to lose talent if its employees take an unfavorable view of its promotion of wellness; and
• When wellness is a priority, employees are 3.5 times more likely to report being encouraged to be creative and innovative, keys to maintaining organizational agility.

The association of wellness with each of these elements clearly shows its strategic importance. In many instances the survival of an organization may rest entirely on rebuilding a strategy that includes wellness.

"The active promotion of wellness offers major opportunities for organizations to improve effectiveness," says Sullivan. "Currently, however, wellness has limited appeal as a strategic investment and organizations fail to successfully connect wellness within the context of organizational strategy."  

"The strongest organizations are going to be the ones that attract, engage and retain top talent," said David Arkless, Manpower Inc. President of Corporate and Government Affairs. "Wellness in the workplace is central to an organization's survival. Companies, governments and the like will need to revisit their strategies to ensure that workplace wellness is woven into their plans, as the organizations that don't will struggle to remain competitive."

Arkless will stress the importance of wellness during this year's Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum as a panel member for "Peak Performance in Business: Optimizing the Return on Investment of a Healthy Workforce."

A copy of the Right Management paper "The Wellness Imperative: Creating More Effective Organizations" is available for download at www.manpower.com/research/research.cfm.

About Right Management

Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans talent assessment, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement and workforce transition. Right Management has a global network of more than 300 service locations in over 50 countries, serving 80% of the Fortune 500 and 50% of the Global 1000 companies.

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services industry; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, the $22 billion company offers employers a range of services for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,100 offices in 82 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates under five brands:  Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More information on Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.

SOURCE Manpower Inc.