A new report released by Virgin Pulse—the habits-focused well-being company—reveals that employers are implementing wellness programs to achieve business objectives and address HR priorities.

More than half of the HR professionals surveyed in the report say they are looking to improve employee engagement (60%), productivity (53%), and organizational culture (52.8%) through wellness, which is no longer being seen as strictly an HR initiative, but rather a business imperative.

For the second year in a row, Virgin Pulse partnered with Human Capital Media, the research arm of Workforce magazine, to survey more than 1,000 HR professionals across levels and industries. The resulting report, "State of the Industry: Employee Well-being in 2016," details how and why organizations are budgeting, implementing, measuring, and improving employee wellness programs.

According to the report, senior-level executives are looking at wellness programs not so much as a cost reduction measure, but to help improve employee engagement and productivity, which were cited as key HR priorities for next year.

Nearly 89% of respondents at the director level and above cite improving employee productivity as the top HR priority in 2016, with engagement (87.5%), and corporate culture (85.8%) following closely behind. More than 97% agree that employee wellness programs can positively impact the achievement of each of these broader business priorities and goals.

"In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, employees are being asked to do more at work while balancing personal priorities and responsibilities. We know these competing demands can affect engagement and culture within organizations," said Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin Pulse. "By focusing on well-being as a way to create and motivate productive, thriving workforces, leading employers will see the return on their investment in ways that meaningfully impact their business in 2016 and beyond."

As wellness programs evolve and become a core part of business strategy for engaging, retaining, and recruiting top talent, budgets for these initiatives are growing. More than a third (39.1%) of large companies and more than a quarter (28.1%) of small companies report wellness budget increases over last year. These increases come as organizations increasingly view employee wellness as a driver of business success.