Communication is always key and it’s critical when you are trying to get your employees to participate in health and wellness programs. The messaging about a program is as important as the frequency of your communications. To determine whether your program is adhering to best practices, evaluate the way all communications to employees are created and disseminated. Information should be readily available in one location. If an employee is seeking to lose weight, the employer programs offered to accomplish this should be easy to learn about and simple to sign up for. The questions below can help you determine if your program meets these requirements.
Communications Questions
Is the information easily accessible to all employees?
Is the information being disseminated in plain language and understandable to all?
How is the information being laid out and organized?
Does the message support the company’s overall objectives?
Is the information tailored for specific employees either based on life stage or health condition?
As you build your wellness program, below are key areas that should be considered when developing your communications strategy.
Set Goals. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of your program, in both the short and long term, define the results you want your wellness campaign to achieve. Are you interested in participation rates or health outcomes or do you have a different objective?
Develop a Wellness Brand. Brand your wellness program with a name, logo and message to create instant recognition.
Customize Your Communications. Every employee is unique and each campaign needs to be tailored to that employee whether it is for those seeking to lower their blood pressure or those concerned with reducing stress.
Offer Financial Incentives. Financial incentives are a great motivator so be sure to communicate your incentives clearly and in multiple ways. Consider offering different types of financial incentives. Premium reductions and cash awards are great motivators but consider getting creative and adding items such as tickets to sporting events or the theater or an extra vacation day.
Communicate Using Multiple Channels. It’s important to communicate using various methods -- email, paper, texts, onsite meetings. An online wellness portal is also a great way to house wellness program information and disseminate messages. Different messages and mediums will appeal to different employees so determine what works well for your population.
Now that your program is developed and you have a communications program in place, you are ready to build excitement and demand for your initiative. Wellness Workdays helps employers across the country develop branded wellness programs and communications strategies. We have proven methods that will help build awareness and excitement for your program. Contact us to learn more.