Fitness can be all fun and games

Big Fish Games Case Study

High-tech gaming companies are known for their trendy employee cultures that pair tech-savvy people with a balance of hard work and fun. That’s especially true at Big Fish Games, Inc., a Seattle-based gaming company where you’ll find employees who don’t feel guilty about taking an hour out of their workdays for a boot camp or a basketball game.

That’s because Big Fish Games partnered with Corporate Fitness Works on a two-pronged fitness strategy that incorporated employee feedback every step of the way. The first ask by Big Fish Games was to design a fitness center to match the company’s newly remodeled space inside Seattle’s iconic Maritime Building. The second ask was to engage people beyond the four walls of the fitness center.

Done and done. Highlights of the CFW/Big Fish game plan included:

  • A 2,000-square-foot facility that includes a group exercise room and a rooftop space for outdoor classes.
  • Stretch breaks that reach up to 100 employees each day
  • Education and exercises for desk yoga
  • Employee club sports like soccer and softball
  • Onsite health fairs and booths

Big Fish training room looking over water

A school of fish

Hundreds of Big Fish employees flocked to the fitness center’s open house to try out equipment and check out the space. And growth in membership has been spectacular ever since: The new fitness center has attracted 40 percent of the Big Fish team as members, in comparison to 25 percent at its previous facility.

The result: a healthier employee culture and proof that thoughtfully executed fitness programs can work in any industry, which is especially powerful when companies are constantly battling to recruit and retain top talent.