5 Steps for Planning a Successful Wellness Program
It’s no secret that a good company wellness program saves money through reduced healthcare costs and lower turnover rates. But in order for your business to get the most out of its wellness program, you must first determine ways to truly engage your employees rather than just the easiest way to enhance your bottom line. That means establishing a comprehensive program that focuses on educating and motivating your employees to make positive changes in their social, emotional and physical health. In addition to saving money, some of the many benefits of this more inclusive approach to wellness include increasing employee morale, teamwork, and productivity for employees both inside and outside of the office.
Proper planning and implementation are also key aspects of a wellness program that gets results. Here are a few of our starting steps for success:
- Establish the goal of the program: Is there a specific overarching goal you would like to achieve, such as increasing physical activity among staff? Or maybe you want to reduce your number of seasonal absences by offering company-wide flu shots? Defining some sort of health goal for your organization will help determine the most effective tools and events you can offer your employees throughout the year.
- Decide your company’s level of involvement: There are many ways for your company to get your employees excited about wellness. Interactive events such as workshops and health fairs allow employees to get educated on health and connected to their wellness options. Health screenings are a more personalized approach to getting your employees involved in their health. How much you are willing to put into your wellness program as a company will often have a direct correlation with how much your employees get involved.
- Establish a budget and expected return on investment
- Choose employee rewards/benefits (make it fun!): Employee engagement is one of the biggest factors in whether or not your program will be a success. Knowing the preferences and tastes of your employees will help you create incentives that motivate them to participate in your wellness program.
- Write and communicate your program: Make sure everyone, throughout all levels of your organization, are aware of all components of your program, how they can participate directly and how they could be rewarded both in incentives but also in health.
IAB offers a tailored approach to corporate wellness programs to help you best engage your employees and get the most return.
