Forward-thinking companies are embracing a new vision for workplaces, recognizing that smart, human-centered design can profoundly influence employee wellness, productivity, and overall business performance. At the Global Health & Purpose Summit, presented by People and Planet United alongside FINN Partners, HITLAB, The Galien Foundation, and 1BusinessWorld, Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), shares compelling insights into why businesses now see their physical spaces as strategic enablers rather than mere operational assets.
In her conversation with Gil Bashe, Chair of Global Health and Purpose at FINN Partners, Hodgdon emphasizes how purposeful investment in healthier indoor environments creates lasting value by fostering engaged employees and resilient organizations.
Elevating Buildings Through a People-First Lens
Rachel Hodgdon leads IWBI in reshaping global real estate through the WELL Building Standard, the pioneering certification program centered entirely around human health and well-being. Operating across 135 countries, IWBI engages with more than 180 Fortune Global 500 companies, influencing over 74,000 properties and positively impacting approximately 30 million people every day.
Drawing upon her experience at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Hodgdon demonstrates clearly how thoughtfully designed spaces improve daily health outcomes for occupants. For instance, schools redesigned with wellness principles significantly reduce chronic health problems such as headaches and asthma—changes that directly improve the lives of students and educators.
These transformative experiences drive IWBI’s human-focused approach. WELL certification complements environmental standards by embedding rigorous attention to air quality, water safety, ergonomic comfort, psychological health, and inclusivity—critical factors often overlooked by traditional sustainability standards.
The Trust Factor: Why Third-Party Certification Matters
Throughout her dialogue, Hodgdon highlights the strategic significance of independent certification. WELL certification provides rigorous external verification of an organization’s genuine commitment to wellness and sustainability, going far beyond self-reported claims.
A WELL plaque displayed prominently communicates authenticity to employees, customers, and stakeholders alike. Hodgdon explains that independent verification mitigates credibility risks, building deeper trust and demonstrating that wellness commitments are genuine and substantial.
Incremental Progress as a Practical Strategy
Recognizing that meaningful organizational change occurs incrementally, IWBI introduces its “WELL at Scale” approach, designed specifically for large organizations managing diverse, global portfolios. Rather than requiring immediate compliance with an ideal standard, WELL at Scale allows businesses to progressively document wellness initiatives across their assets and properties.
This pragmatic certification model mirrors the natural rhythm of business operations, enabling organizations to continually demonstrate progress. Hodgdon argues that this practical approach effectively sustains momentum by encouraging steady improvement rather than one-time achievements.
Making Wellness Investments Tangible Through Data
To illustrate the business impact of wellness initiatives, Hodgdon highlights GSK’s London headquarters, a WELL-certified building. The implementation of circadian lighting measurably enhances cognitive function by 32% and improves employees’ sleep quality. Additionally, biophilic design—incorporating natural elements—substantially elevates air quality, acoustics, and employee satisfaction.
Hodgdon emphasizes that data-driven approaches enable companies to clearly connect wellness investments with tangible performance outcomes, reshaping wellness programs into clear, strategic advantages rather than discretionary costs.
Smart Technologies Create Responsive, Healthier Environments
Advancements in building technology, such as smart sensors, provide real-time environmental monitoring of key health metrics—air quality, CO₂, humidity, and particulate matter. Hodgdon stresses that these innovations empower organizations to proactively manage indoor environments, optimizing employee comfort and well-being.
By using these intelligent systems, businesses not only enhance health and productivity but simultaneously achieve efficiency in energy consumption and resource management, reinforcing their commitments to both wellness and sustainability.
Belonging and Inclusion: The Hidden Power of Physical Spaces
Beyond physical health benefits, Hodgdon underscores how the built environment significantly shapes organizational culture. IWBI research consistently indicates that workplace design influences employees’ sense of belonging, inclusivity, and psychological safety.
Through structured occupant surveys, organizations gain valuable insights into how physical design directly affects employee morale, engagement, and retention. Hodgdon makes it clear that investment in inclusive, welcoming workplaces supports deeper human connections, which in turn strengthen business outcomes.
Sustainability and Wellness: Moving Beyond Buzzwords
Acknowledging the evolving language around sustainability, Hodgdon highlights that while terminology may shift over time due to cultural or political influences, underlying corporate commitments remain robust and consistent. She argues that organizations benefit by prioritizing continuous, measurable progress over debates about terminology.
Hodgdon advocates that clear, ongoing action is the most persuasive way for companies to maintain stakeholder trust and to demonstrate genuine leadership in sustainability and wellness.
From Managing Risk to Building Resilience
Hodgdon calls on businesses to adopt a proactive approach to wellness and sustainability, positioning these factors as integral elements of their strategic planning rather than mere regulatory requirements. Companies that prioritize human-centered building design cultivate internal cultures characterized by innovation, adaptability, and enduring strength.
Rather than simply mitigating risk, organizations focused on employee wellness actively prepare themselves to respond effectively to future challenges, embedding resilience at their core.
The insights Rachel Hodgdon presents at the Global Health & Purpose Summit offer a powerful new perspective for business leaders. By investing deliberately in human-centric environments, companies not only enhance employee well-being but also unlock greater innovation, performance, and sustained competitive advantage. How organizations choose to integrate these insights into their ongoing strategies and workplace practices may profoundly shape the future of work and redefine what it truly means to thrive.
