When we started BetterUp nearly eight years ago, our goal was to bring greater clarity, purpose, and passion to the lives of people everywhere. BetterUp has always been unique in our belief that well-being and performance are not separate pursuits. Whether you’re looking to become a better leader, parent, or partner, a common set of mindsets, skills, and behaviors enable us to perform at our best and realize our potential, personally and professionally.
The past year has made it strikingly clear how much people everywhere need the tools and support to build strong, healthy minds. Today, we announced a major milestone in that journey: BetterUp is opening offices in Munich and London to scale our coaching and care solutions globally and to better serve our customers in Europe with products that truly change lives.
BetterUp has been available for international customers since 2016, with 25% of BetterUp’s Members located outside of the US. However, this marks a bold new chapter for our company: We’ll significantly grow our employee base in our Munich and London locations, as well as hire in France, Benelux, and Sweden in the coming year. We’ll also expand our community of expert Coaches to support our global Member base. By strengthening our network of coaching, we’ll be able to deliver deeper insights and the customized support needed to address the challenges each of our customers face in creating high-performing workforces.
During the past year, we’ve experienced some of the biggest shifts in how, where, and why people work. But while post-pandemic life has come into view, organizations have struggled to create clarity for their workforces. From hybrid work to increasing globalization to labor mobility, leaders are attempting to plan for a future of work (or a return to work) that many employees are still actively questioning.
What has finally come into focus is the need for organizations to support the mental fitness of their people so they can reach peak performance and unlock their potential to live better, more fulfilling lives. As our world has been reshaped — by technology and the changes resulting from the pandemic — it’s become increasingly clear that a company is only as adaptable as its workforce. The growing complexity of working at a global, enterprise-level company requires employees to not only excel in their core skill set but also to thrive at behaviors like resilience, communication, inclusive leadership, and creating social connection. These skills are critical for a company facing challenges at all levels of the business. But these skills are not something to be “implemented.” They are discovered, questioned, explored, and built over time.
Focus on developing well-being as the new competitive advantage
BetterUp recently published new research in the Journal of Medical Internet Research that showcases the effectiveness of coaching as a well-being intervention. This research highlights how complex improving well-being actually is: solutions must be personalized to the individual — an important finding for those operating in multiple markets and numerous cultural contexts. The research also reveals the stages for how peak performance and mental health improve — showcasing the commitment and personalized support needed to move from progress in skills such as self-awareness and emotional regulation to growth in areas such as resilience and purpose.
These dimensions that accelerate later in the mental fitness journey are also the dimensions essential for organizational growth. Workforces made up of high-performing individuals who can adapt quickly to changing needs, are resilient in the face of setbacks, and are committed to their work because they feel connected to the company’s purpose will be prepared for the next reinvention … and the one after that. With BetterUp coaching, we see a 130% increase in individual job performance, a 149% increase in resilience, and a 52% reduction in burnout.
Leaders — who are critical to the success, engagement, and productivity of their team members — need high well-being and new skillsets to operate in an increasingly dynamic environment. The ability to pragmatically think through how to achieve future goals (strategic planning) creates alignment and focus, resulting in lower stress and higher motivation. Leaders high in strategic planning have direct reports who say their teams can handle change and be agile — 14x greater than teams where the leader does not have this skill. Operating and collaborating across time zones, functions, and departments requires leaders to inspire, motivate, and make people feel valued and included. People who score high in inspiring leadership skills are 1.4x more likely to have high team engagement, 1.5x more likely to lead agile teams, and 1.6x more likely to have high team innovation.
It’s only when we build the mindsets and behaviors that address the whole person that we see individuals grow and organizations transform.
Coaching with regional context meets people where(ever) they are with personalized support
BetterUp currently works with over 370 multi-national organizations, including Bayer, Allianz, Dyson, Hilton, and Mars, and partners with over 40 companies with European headquarters. In the past year, BetterUp’s international membership increased by 151%. Our offerings are accessible in 46 languages and more than 90 countries today.
Core to BetterUp’s product is our commitment to privacy and security for our customers and Members. We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and privacy of all customers. BetterUp is SOC 2 Type II certified, a designation given to organizations that undergo independent accounting and auditing to validate the security of their policies and practices regarding customer data. We also adhere to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) practices to comply with data privacy standards worldwide. We continue to evolve our international privacy, security, and confidentiality protocols to test and further safeguard our customers, employees, and community members.
BetterUp’s expansion is an opportunity to devote more support and services to the U.K. and German markets specifically and to create a deeper understanding of our Members’ needs across Europe. The cultural context and sociopolitical environments of each region can produce differences in mindsets, behaviors, and challenges. This shows up in our Member’s priorities and the different topics they focus on in their coaching sessions:
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Germany Members are more likely to seek coaching guidance on:
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U.K. Members are more likely to seek coaching guidance on:
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Communication and Collaboration
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Influence and Assertiveness
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Managing Difficult Conversations and Conflict
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Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
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Improving Physical Health
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Strategic Planning
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Managing a Career Transition
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Increasing Visibility and Personal Brand
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Stress Management and Self-Care
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Career Planning
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Data from BetterUp
Meeting the increased need for mental fitness resources
As the first company to secure a patent for our virtual coaching platform, we’re building innovative products that bring personalized growth and development support to entire workforces and devoting resources to research and technology that measure the business impact of investing in human development.
Earlier this year, we introduced Coaching Circles and BetterUp Care to deliver precision development at scale. Globally, companies are investing more in preventative mental fitness solutions and looking to build the skills necessary to succeed in ever-changing, complex workplaces. Our customers’ commitment to the growth of their people through coaching led to our announcement of a $125 million Series D raise in February and achieving $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in July.
These milestones are important moments in our own journey to build a sustainable company that can reach more people and help them discover the tools to thrive. We’re excited for our next phase of unlocking peak performance and potential for people everywhere from our new European offices.
