Investing in wellbeing: How Odyssey supports employees with Empowr

Bee Odyssey, a leading hotel chain with various locations in the Netherlands, the well-being of employees is key. In this interview, you share Deborah in the Field - Suman, HR Business Partner at Odyssey, how Empower contributes to supporting employees in the areas of vitality, personal development and a healthy work-life balance.

An inspiring conversation about the power of a versatile wellbeing platform and how it relieves the HR department.

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“Can you tell us about your role at Odyssey and how you ended up at Empowr?”

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“Of course! As an HR Business Partner at Odyssey, I play a multi-faceted role advising management teams and addressing strategic HR issues. I introduced Empowr to Odyssey Hotel Group thanks to my previous collaboration with Reinier at The Dylan. What immediately appealed to us is the breadth of the platform: it not only focuses on mental health, but also offers support in the areas of sports, personal development and even practical issues, such as a juice cleanse or pedometer. That diversity makes it attractive for our employees.”

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“How does Odyssey promote well-being within the organization?”

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“Well-being is an essential part of our corporate culture and is included in our handbook and benefits. But we make the real difference in the conversations we have. During one-on-one meetings, we notice that employees often don't know exactly what they need. At that moment, I point them to Empowr, where they can easily discover what suits them — coaching, sports or something else.”

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“How do you ensure that employees find their way to Empower?”

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“We actively communicate via our internal HR platform and posters in the hotels. In addition, we offer personal guidance for employees who don't know where to start. Sometimes that's the push they need. We also developed short instructional videos to make the platform more accessible.”

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“How do you use the internal HR platform to draw attention to Empowr?”

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“The internal HR platform is our central hub for HR-related information. We post every update to Empowr directly here. For example, we recently shared a message about the 'Mastering Work-Life Balance' training. We want to inspire employees, but also give them the freedom to choose what they need.”

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“What role do executives play in promoting Empower?”

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“Managers are often the first point of contact for employees and are good at assessing what someone needs. We encourage them to advise Empowr when relevant. Sometimes managers seek my help in supporting an employee, and then we offer to have the conversation together or refer directly to Empowr.”

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“Can you give an example of how Empowr helped an employee?”

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“Sure. A colleague was struggling with burnout symptoms and made use of coaching via Empowr several times during her absence. This helped her regain control over her situation, allowing her to return to work faster than expected. This is exactly what we hope to achieve: preventive support to prevent absenteeism.”

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“How does Empower support you as an HR professional?”

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“Empower takes care of us considerably. If someone says they don't know what they need, I can refer to the platform, where specialists are ready to help. This makes our work more efficient and increases our attractiveness as an employer—especially for younger generations, who are increasingly asking, “What does this employer do for me?” With Empowr, we show that we look beyond just the salary.”

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“What else would you like to see added to Empowr?”

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“We are very satisfied, but there is always room for improvement. It would be nice if the offer was expanded outside the Randstad, because we also have hotels in cities such as Breda, Den Bosch and Nijmegen, where the offer is sometimes more limited. In addition, we are pleased with recent improvements, such as the simplified approval process, which saves us a lot of time.”

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“Would you recommend Empowr to other organizations?”

“Absolutely. At Marriott HR meetings, which we are part of, I have already recommended Empowr. The platform is diverse, accessible and offers clear added value for organizations that really want to invest in the well-being of their employees.”

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