Contrary to popular belief, wellness is not just for people who need to make huge health improvements.
Wellness is not a “one and done” initiative.
In all honesty, wellness isn’t even always easy.
We know it might be more natural—and maybe a first instinct—to use your employee wellness program to target the people who aren’t taking active steps towards better health. It’s definitely true that this population needs to be included. But that doesn't cover all of your employees.
What about people who are already making strides towards a healthier lifestyle?
Well they’re still important too. In fact, they’re just as important as the other folks. You can’t forget about them because, as we said, wellness is also for them, it’s a continuous process and it can be a difficult journey.
Here are a few strategies that will help you reach out to these employees specifically, and appeal to where they’re at on the journey towards better health.
Act as a partner. They want to be healthy. You want them to be healthy. That’s the grounds for a perfect partnership. Use your program as a support system or motivator as they continue making strides. Promote your employee wellness program as a tool that has the same end goal they have for themselves.
Provide resources. If these employees are actively seeking a healthy lifestyle, they probably have some sort of routine down. Get to know them and the strategies their using. Then use your wellness program as a resource.
You have lots of employees who run? Invest in a treadmill room at the office. You have employees who eat organically? Work with the local health food store to get some coupons.
The options are endless depending on who your employees are.
Tailor your incentives to their needs. Incentives—when used right—can be an excellent way to engage a population that already wants to be healthy. Jump right in wherever they’re at and provide incentives they want (like gym memberships, local race fees or organic food coupons).
This might be where a wellness portal would come in handy. With a portal they can set goals, track progress and apply for incentives on their own time. They won’t feel they have to mold to the form of every other employee at your company.
Do wellness activities in tiers. It’s important to get to know your workforce. If you have a wide variety of people at different points in the health journey, consider doing wellness activities in tiers. For example, if you want to do a group exercise, you could offer a short walk, a long walk and a run. That way employees can decide what’s best for them at that time.
Realize that everyone can improve. Even the healthiest people have some room for improvement. Just because some employees already focus on their health doesn’t mean they have it all figured out. Use your employee wellness program to help them identify the improvements they can make and support them if they struggle.
When it comes down to it, you need to appreciate that not every employee is the same when it comes to health. It’s important to understand where your workforce is at, so you can offer an employee wellness program with which everyone will want to engage.
How else do you target employees who are already actively making healthy strides?
