When was the last time you took a good long look at how your wellness program is running? If you haven’t dusted off the cobwebs in a while, there is no better time than now to re-evaluate and get ready to do some major spring cleaning! There are a few ways you can tell if you have an ailing corporate wellness program on your hands.
First, if you have low participation, your program is probably struggling. The most obvious way to evaluate your wellness program is to crunch the numbers. If there are only a few people that have even signed up for your program, it’s probably time to make a few changes.
Second, if you have pretty good participation, but aren’t seeing any health changes, your program might need some adjusting. High participation and low improvement can mean a few different things. One of the most likely is that your employees are just going through the motions, and they aren’t engaged in your program. Engagement is what drives results, so it’s important to recognize when you’re missing the mark on that side of your program.
High participation and low improvement could also point out a structural flaw in your program. To make sure your program is running efficiently, be sure to:
- Implement a system to record health metrics that matter for your workforce
- Plan regular screenings to evaluate where you’re at as a company
- Stick with your employee wellness program rather than losing interest and engagement at the management level
Finally, if there is a general lack of activity within your program, spring cleaning might be in your future. A lack of activity can be on a variety of levels. This can include lack of activity by participants, which would again lead you to improve engagement. It could also, however, be a lack of activity within the program itself. It’s important to be sure you offer wellness solutions for your employees, sponsor and promote wellness events and schedule regular health screenings. If these things aren’t integrated into your program, it can easily become stagnant and you won’t see the results you’re hoping for.
If any of these traits describe your wellness program, don’t fret. You are re-evaluating just in time for spring cleaning, and we have some tips to help with the makeover.
Get Feedback
Work with your employees to figure out what’s important to them. Seeking this feedback will help you be sure you’re hitting the right areas with the wellness solutions you offer. For example, if your workforce wants to learn to make better nutritional choices, plan events with area dietitians, restaurants or nutritionists. Meeting your workforce where they’re at will help to foster engagement and a sense that their health is valued.
Encourage Social Engagement
In the workplace, people often hold each other accountable. This can be true in your employee wellness program as well. Don’t be afraid to spur on some friendly competition when it comes to wellness events. This can include races towards reaching individual or team goals, awards for engagement or even drawings or other competitions based on luck. These types of events get participants excited to take action towards a healthier lifestyle and can help people to reach their goals.
Educate Your Workforce
With the stress of the job looming over their heads, it’s possible that your employees don’t know anything about your wellness program. Make sure you educate your workforce on what your employee wellness program offers, how they can get involved and the importance of focusing on their health at work. This can be done with fliers, posts on the bulletin board, memos, company-wide emails, videos, meetings or even word of mouth. The opportunities are boundless. Be creative and get the necessary wellness information to your employees.
Communication with Your Workforce
Similarly, it’s important to communicate the program with your employees. This goes beyond education about the program, and into promotion for specific aspects of the wellness program. Think of it this way. If you plan a huge group workout—reserve a room, hire a Zumba instructor, the whole nine yards—but you don’t tell anyone, nobody will come! It’s important to keep talking about wellness in the workplace, even after people have signed up. True results come from a long-term lifestyle change, and might need some encouragement along the way.
Ultimately, if you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for from your employee wellness program, don’t give up hope. If you do some evaluation and aren’t happy with the participation, engagement or activity going on in your wellness program, you are just in type for some spring cleaning. Work with your employees, encourage social interactions, and educate and communication about your wellness program for the best results!
What do you plan to do to give you corporate wellness program a makeover in 2015?
