Three Strategies for Successful Employee Wellness Programs

The importance of having a wellness program, especially in these arguably VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) times, as an organization cannot be overemphasized. Thankfully, wellness programs are becoming more popular in the workplace especially for the progressives and your organization should not be left behind. The benefits of offering employee wellness programs have been well-proven in research and practice to have measurable impact on employee retention, performance, and productivity. A well-designed wellness program can be the difference between hiring a great talent or losing them to a competitor and could even reduce the attrition rate of some integral member of your team.

So how do you go about developing and implementing a wellness program?

The first step in developing a well thought out wellness program is to Obtain information about the health of the workforce which can be done by conducting assessments. The information gotten from these assessments will greatly help in this planning phase of the program. Some of the assessment methods you can use in obtaining this information includes,

• Carrying out surveys to evaluate the personal wellness interests and needs of employees
• Conducting an organizational assessment to determine which types of wellness programs to offer because not all programs will be well used or will fit every organization.
• Conducting a health risk assessment which will help determine which programs to implement.
• Evaluating the current health culture and conducting an environmental audit of the workplace in general as this will provide information on the workplace culture and its impact on driving employee wellness behavior.

The insights gotten from this first step, especially when represented with great visualization, will then lead to the second step of Obtaining Management Support and Commitment. This step is very crucial in building a successful wellness program as with any initiative. The top management buy-in is very critical for funding purposes, for ensuring cooperation throughout the organization, and for approving policies and processes related to the program. A very committed top management can further provide assistance by helping to connect the wellness promotion objectives to business outcomes, hence positioning wellness as a fundamental part of the organization.

After successfully implementing the first two steps, the next step will be to Establish an Internal Wellness Committee who will be tasked to build and sustain a wellness culture in the organization. Some of the responsibilities of this committee might include;

• Developing Goals and Objectives for the wellness program
• Communicating the Wellness Plan
• Designing the Wellness Program Components which could include; stress management programs, emotional intelligence, exercise programs and so on.
• Establishing the Wellness Program Incentives or Rewards
• Establishing a Budget
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the wellness program

These responsibilities might vary from organization to organization but these elements are important duties that will help solidify the establishment of a successful wellness program.

Succinctly, there is no one size fits all in implementing a wellness program, but at the core of any corporate wellness program should be the visible interest and commitment of the top management to the wellbeing of their staff and this can be seen and felt in the kind of policies being approved, the work environment, the engagement and reward activities among other intentional activities. Having a solid and successful wellness program can transform your organization and deliver a message to both potential talents and current employees that your organization is an attractive place to work and also shows your clients that your organization is socially responsible, all of which can positively impact on the bottom line.

It is time to Win With Wellness!

Udom