Employee retention is a problem at many fast-growing companies. Startups are looking for fresh talent, enticing them with cutting-edge work, tight-knit teams and the chance to join a potentially explosive company on the ground floor. But, with the influx of new team members, employee perks can often slip through the cracks.
Recently launched in Denver and Boulder, ohmygreen is focused on keeping employees happy and healthy with a range of healthy snacks and wellness programs. The company manages everything in the kitchen, from coffee and tea to snack dispensers and inventory control.
Employees also have a say in what gets sent to the office. They can log into a web portal and pick their favorite snacks from ohmygreen’s selection of prepackaged dried fruits, frozen meals and beverages, or even suggest new options.
“Those get put into the next order, and it just shows up,” said CEO Michael Heinrich. “That creates this sort of magical experience where employees feel like 'Oh wow, I'm actually being listened to, and my preferences are being taken into account.'"
The system also takes the pressure off employees who may otherwise be tasked with reordering. ohmygreen handles restocking snacks as they get low and can even match the companies’ budgets.
Heinrich was inspired to start ohmygreen after working at Microsoft and other tech companies, where he found himself constantly eating unhealthy options because that’s what was available. However, he grew up helping his grandmother with her organic garden.
“She always reinforced what you put into your body and the type of lifestyle activities you have really determine your health and wellbeing,” he said. “That message really stuck with me and I thought why don't I create something around that?”
In addition to healthy food, the company is also testing office-wide wellness programs, offering employees a chance to set and achieve mental and physical health goals with a smart gamification and insightful tracking. While many companies offer on-site yoga and meditation sessions, ohmygreen uses a Slack bot to help users stay well.
“What we've seen works best is if we, instead of just offering a service, run office competitions, where you engage employees based on the habits they already have,” Heinrich said. “Then you don't need to provide them the entire service in the office, you can just meet them where they are.”
ohmygreen is based in San Francisco, but expanded to Denver and Boulder this summer. One office they’ve helped stock is payroll and benefits services provider Gusto’s Denver office. The company is looking to hire a general manager for the Colorado market to help oversee employees in the market.
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