We sat down with Davina Cooke, Health and Wellbeing Consultant at Virgin Pulse, a global digital health, wellbeing, and engagement company.
Davina has always had a passion for the health and wellbeing of both herself and others. After starting a family and enduring the pandemic like many others, Davina began dealing with the stress and pressure of busy life and realised she wanted to revaluate her lifestyle. Having previously recruited for Virgin Pulse, Davina was already familiar with the purpose driven culture and so the opportunity to combine her experience, passion for helping people and health and wellbeing as a career was easy to say yes to. We are delighted to have her share her experience on the importance of looking after yourself and colleagues to achieve success within a business.
Kicking off the interview, we asked Davina what attendees could expect from her session on employee wellbeing and retention.
“The world is changing, and the lingering effect of the pandemic has made a lot of people re-evaluate what is important to them. Employees are seeking employers who truly support a better work life integration with increased flexibility to accommodate the realities of being human and a reassurance that ultimately their employer cares about them. Employee health and wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have”, it is now a critical business investment. I will share valuable insight into how best to prioritise your employees’ mental health and physical wellbeing as well as highlighting the common mistakes organisations make when implementing a wellbeing strategy, and I will equip you to avoid those pitfalls and instead deliver success for your people and your business. I will also evidence how a focus on health and wellbeing can increase retention, aid attraction of top talent, and improve company culture, all whilst recognising and preventing burn out.”
We’d love to know a little bit more about you. What attracted you to this line of work?
“Having worked in recruitment for twelve years, in a notoriously fast pace and competitive environment, I watched my fellow colleagues struggle with their mental health and anxiety. The demanding pressure that fuels the “work hard play hard” culture, led to burn out becoming prevalent across the industry. After having children and dealing with the stress and pressure of busy life, I was confronted to re-evaluate my priorities. I became aware that this pressure cooker life was no longer conducive to a healthy, happy life. I have always been passionate about health and wellbeing, having seen first-hand the detrimental effects of neglecting one’s physical health on friends and family. Looking forward, I wanted to work for a company whose values aligned with my own whilst undertaking work which positively affects others and changes lives.”
And how would you define success in your career?
“I think success for me is knowing that what I do makes a difference. Working for a purpose driven organisation, where my own personal values and the company values align, is so important. I feel very fortunate to be part of a business that encourages me to challenge myself and grow within my responsibilities within such a fantastic culture and close-knit team. Knowing I make a difference to people’s lives is an incredible source of motivation to strive for excellence.”
Finally, what advice would you give to your teenage self?
I have always been my own worst critic, and admittedly I still am. I would encourage my younger self to be kinder, believe in myself and not to take negative feedback to heart.
Key take-outs
Thank you, Davina. Staff recruitment and retention in the hospitality sector has always been challenging, especially in the current climate and it’s never been more important to consider employees mental wellbeing. Davina will provide insightful tips and valuable information on how to prevent employee burn out and staff turnover.
Are you a hotelier? Would you like to attend our event? It’s completely FREE. Look at our speaker line-up here or book your tickets online now alternatively call us on 01423 225166