Employee wellness programs can be a powerful tool for any company. Like any tool, its value lies in its use. Creating a wellness program takes a lot of work. Imagine spending all that time and thought developing something great for your people only to hear crickets chirp in response. 

It does happen, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. When wellness programs fail, it is usually due to a handful of common reasons. Understanding these reasons is helpful - then you can take the steps you need to ensure success and generate powerful results. 

Why do workplace wellness programs fail (and how can you avoid these mistakes?) 

Let’s explore . . .

No one knows about your program.

Communicate well and often! It’s our number one piece of advice. It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often programmers get wrapped up in program design and leave the communication piece as the last consideration. 

If you don’t communicate it properly, even the most thought out, well-designed wellness program will fail. One announcement does not get the job done.  Customize multiple communications and leverage all your channels to engage a wide range of your population – repeatedly.

Diversity in how your users were raised, where they live, and their current mindset around their health means each of them will see your message in a different light. Stack a diverse, multicultural, and/or multilingual population on top of this, and variety in your messaging becomes even more important.

There is little support from the higher ups.

You’ve probably heard this before, but we reiterate it here because in our experience, it’s true: without leadership support, it is very difficult to create an engaging wellness program that thrives long-term.

The laws of budgeting imply, at the very minimum, you need their buy-in.  The best-case scenario is that you have their full, active, and visible participation. This sends a message to your employees: this stuff is important, and most important, our company culture supports wellbeing. Sometimes, your higher ups don’t understand the impact of their participation. Make this known to them and be sure to ask them to be an integral part of messaging and participation.

You didn’t get input from your participants.

Whatever the focus of your program, the best way to make it a success is to engineer it to both meet your participant’s where they are and give them what they want. We are big advocates of the survey. It is a great tool to learn what your people really want and figure out how to give it to them.

Surveys make your program communication a two-way street. We recommend a survey at both the beginning and the end of a program. At the beginning, use it to find out where your people stand in their wellness journey, what their goals are, and what they need to get there. 

After the program ends, it’s a great time to check for success and satisfaction. Not only do the answers indicate if your program was helpful or not, but it also triggers introspection in your participants to make them truly aware of any changes they experienced. 

If you offered an incentive, did they think it was worth the effort they put in? If the answer is no, you might want to consider upping the ante for the next program.

Another note: don’t think because you asked for input on one program, you don’t need to ever ask again. People evolve and change and so do their wants and needs. Your program should adapt with your population’s growth. 

There are no wellness champions. 

No one wants to be the only one participating in a program. How do you create a supportive inclusive culture that involves everyone? Create a network of wellness champions!

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines a wellness champion network as “a group of employees who work to improve the health and culture of the workplace in conjunction with an employer-sponsored wellness program”1. They do this by connecting with their co-workers and educating them about the program offerings. They are meant to lead by enthusiastic example and support the program through active and visible participation, so no one feels like they are doing it alone.

Want to kick up the impact on your network and your program? Have a senior, long-standing, respected person in the company lead your group of champions!

Your users find it difficult to access.

A program that is complicated to understand and difficult to access will not get much participation. Programs that demand off-work time are likely to meet with some resistance. Your employees already give you their workdays, so to ask them to give you more time after hours and on their weekends is a big ask. 

A user-friendly app that can be accessed anytime, anywhere – even during the workday – will get better participation and send the message that their wellbeing is valuable to you.

In addition, make sure your platform (and your program) is truly accessible for ALL. Has your software been tested for Section 508 compliance or does it meet Web Content Access Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards? Can users with disabilities “perceive, understand, navigate, and interact”2 with your program?

When considering accessibility, each of your users should be entitled to an equivalent experience in your platform. The same goes for your program; make sure you are thoughtful about offering options for users of varying abilities.

There is not enough flexibility.

Humans are complex, multidimensional beings. There are so many variables in our lives that go into our wellbeing and are beyond the physical: levels of stress, finances, sense of purpose, and more. Wellness should be holistic and programming for it, in our opinion, should not be one-size-fits-all.

To be successful, a program should focus on multiple dimensions of wellness and consider more than physical health. Ideally, wellness programs offer options that allow the user to personalize what they want to work on. Whether its sleep, stress, giving back to their community, or something else altogether, your program should be flexible enough to meet your users where they are and help them improve what’s important to them.

A successful wellness program is a wonderful accomplishment and should be a source of great pride! We wish you the very best in creating a culture of health in your organization and if you need us, we’re always within reach. 

Sources:

1 https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/wellness-champion-networks.aspx

2 https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/#what