Much like living a healthy lifestyle, a wellness program is never a finished project. It takes dedication and ongoing commitment to keep your program thriving. There are always areas for improvement and opportunity. A wellness program should adjust over time to continually complement employees’ needs, changes, and successes.
As an HR professional, you have a strong voice in your company’s wellness program. You have the power to strengthen and implement positive change in your employees’ journey towards a healthier lifestyle. Assessing your wellness program identifies any areas of weakness and opens up room for improvement. Be sure to ask these five essential questions to improve your wellness program:
Question 1: What are our specific goals?
When you first started your wellness program, you should have designed a few targeted goals. These goals should be the backdrop of every health-related activity for your employees. Your goals should be measurable, achievable, and specific.
Once you have set the goals for your program, ask yourself if your program is designed to help employees reach those goals. For example, if your company’s goal is for employees to eat healthier, provide a food journal for employees to use and be sure that your breakroom or cafeteria offers healthy choices.
Establishing specific goals is crucial to the success of your wellness program. If you realize that your goals aren’t specific, or that your wellness activities are not tailored properly, it’s time to make some improvements and help employees reach these goals.
Question 2: Are we measuring the success of our program?
Tracking and measuring your program and results is essential. An evaluation plan is needed to track participation, monitor employee satisfaction, and document any positive or negative changes.
Also, consider employee feedback as a means of measuring success. Try issuing an employee survey or hold a green-light meeting about the wellness program. Share major results–good or bad–and ask employees for their thoughts. Their feedback can ultimately lead to improvements and ideas that you may not have thought of on your own.
Question 3: Is employee engagement sustained throughout the year?
During the initial stages of introducing a wellness program, employees are bound to be excited because it’s something new and different. But have you been able to keep that momentum going? Regular activities should take place throughout the year. New health information and resources should be provided regularly.
Tracking participation becomes particularly important when determining employee engagement. If you notice that employee response rates and participation levels have taken a nose-drive, then your employees are no longer as engaged.
To sustain engagement, keep things fun and use incentives to the company’s advantage. Try revamping your incentive plan if employee participation dwindles. Ask employees what types of incentives, perks, and challenges they find motivating and engaging.
Question 4: Is employee satisfaction monitored and taken into consideration?
Have you asked employees for their opinions on your wellness program? Have you taken employee suggestions and ideas seriously and implemented some? If your answer is no, you are missing a huge opportunity for employee engagement. Employees whose ideas are brought to life feel empowered and are more likely to contribute to their wellness program.
Employees should feel like they are part of the program and that the program is made to benefit their personal wellbeing–not just the wellbeing of their company. Your wellness program will not succeed without employee approval and satisfaction.
Question 5: Do I enjoy the wellness program?
If you don’t like your wellness program or if it isn’t working for you, odds are that employees aren’t enjoying the program either. Ask yourself if the wellness program is a positive and rewarding experience. Do you feel motivated to living a healthier lifestyle? Do you feel supported by both your peers and upper management?
Take time to evaluate your own feelings about the wellness program. If you have any complaints or concerns, focus on constructive criticism rather than harsh judgments to make improvements.
If you found yourself answering “yes” to every one of these questions, great for you! Your company is on its way to a successful and rewarding employee wellness program. If you notice that you aren’t asking yourself some of these questions, start evaluating now, and don’t fret! Recognizing areas of weakness is the best way to discover solutions and make changes to improve the success of your wellness program.
Comment below and let us know what questions you have asked that have led to an improved wellness program at your company!
