Motivating employees to participate in wellness programs can be one of the toughest challenges faced by wellness professionals. Success lies in understanding your audience, listening to their needs and offering various forms of encouragement for participation. Balancing work life with leisure has long been acknowledged as essential for productivity; now more than ever before the relationship between wellness and work cannot be denied.
Utilizing Wellness at Work
Historically, wellness was seen as an individual choice–exercising after work or making healthy food at home–but it has now become clear that company health depends on employee wellbeing. Unhealthy workers can often be absent, demotivated and struggle with work/life balance resulting in presenteeism resulting in presenteeism; thus highlighting its correlation to company success. Not to even mention rising healthcare costs. As a result of this realization has come an increase in corporate wellness programs.
Implementing an engaging wellness program that generates high participation and engagement is integral to your company’s success and a smart business strategy. In short, healthier employees tend to be more productive, have improved morale, and tend to remain with their employer longer, which makes wellness programs invaluable. Here is why wellness programs should be prioritized.
Wellness Program Benefits
1. Healthier and Happier Employees:
Wellness programs give employees the tools and knowledge to make healthier choices, such as providing grocery lists, cooking tutorials, exercise routines, health fairs and individual or team challenges.
Healthy employees make for happy employees. Studies show that active, healthy individuals tend to be 20% happier than average individuals and that exercise releases endorphins — our “happy chemicals.”
2. Improved Well-Being:
A holistic approach to wellness that encompasses mental and physical wellbeing leads to overall well-being. Programs which encourage healthy habits – such as eating healthily, staying active, and managing stress effectively – have significant positive effects on mental and emotional well-being.
Healthy employees tend to be more present at work, increasing productivity while raising self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
3. Increases Morale:
By investing in wellness programs, companies demonstrate to employees they care about more than just the bottom line – thus improving morale and increasing talent retention.
Team Wellness Challenges Encourage Teamwork Wellness challenges encourage employees to work toward a shared health goal as part of an employee team, creating teamwork and social connections within the workplace.
Motivating Participation in Wellness Programs
Employee participation is central to any successful wellness program; how can companies effectively incentivize employees to engage?
- Provide Powerful Information: Employee education should play an essential role in wellness programs. By explaining how healthy habits reduce chronic disease risks and enhance quality of life, companies can help their employees see the value in participating.
- Allow Flexibility: Make wellness programs flexible by giving employees the option of engaging in wellness activities during work hours or on their own time – this provides more participation while showing leadership buy-in.
- Keep the Program Fun and Engaging: Wellness programs should be enjoyable and engaging experiences for employees – not simply another task on their to-do lists. Tailor each program to your employees’ preferences and include activities beyond exercise and diet that make the program memorable and inclusive.
- Engaging Employees in Program Design: Employee involvement is vital in making any wellness program meaningful and relevant; use focus groups to better understand employee needs and preferences so your program will reflect this involvement.
Attracting Wellness Program Participation
For programs to be effective, they must fulfill five key elements for successful participation:
- Simplicity
Complex programs may disincentive participation. To keep it accessible for everyone, keep signup easy, instructions clear, and activities accessible for all participants. - Accessibility
Wellness programs should be easily accessible to employees via mobile apps or on-site resources, to maximize flexibility and convenience for participation from any location. - Expert Consultation
An attentive and experienced wellness coordinator is key to keeping employees engaged with a wellness program. Employees require someone they can turn to for support and guidance, making the program feel personalized and approachable. - Customization
Tailor the program to meet the individual needs of your employees. Provide various activities so they can select their favorite activity, increasing employee engagement and personal investment in the program. - Incentivization
Offer incentives like gift cards, gym memberships or public recognition to encourage employee participation. While long-term behavior change should always be the goal, short-term incentives may serve to create initial interest in participating.
WellSteps Offers an Encompassing Wellness Platform That Increases Participation
WellSteps provides an all-in-one wellness platform that makes motivating employees easier. Data-driven programs can be easily tailored to suit the unique needs and preferences of both the company and individual employees. Whether that means companywide challenges, personal wellness goals or employee support services; WellSteps creates a cohesive wellness atmosphere that increases participation and engagement rates across your entire workforce.
WellSteps’ experienced guides create wellness programs that foster employee participation and maintain motivation, helping your company meet its wellness goals. Ready to improve employee wellbeing and increase participation? Schedule a demo with WellSteps today and discover the WellSteps difference!
