Many companies invest in the well-being of their employees but not every workplace wellness program is successful. Then why are companies still doing it? 

For starters, the CDC reports that well-designed corporate wellness programming positively influences employee health and behavior, improves productivity and reduces missed work days. Most frequently employers include opportunities and incentives for physical activity, healthy nutrition, tobacco cessation and preventive/biometric screenings. And for good reason! Providing workout classes and/or gyms are a great way to recruit and retain talent and a workforce made up of healthy employees (with healthy habits) will keep healthcare costs down and morale up. 

Thankfully, we’re starting to see programming expand from the traditional model to one that approaches health from a more holistic perspective. Companies are beginning to offer options for stress management, mindfulness and mental health. We know that mental health is physical health, and are thrilled to see benefits teams and leaders across many industries beginning to align their programs with that perspective as well. 

A great offering backed up with the right support strategy is beneficial for both employees and employers—a real win-win for all. 

As a workplace wellness provider, Work From Om® partners with conscious companies to provide meditation, yoga and human connection for healthier, happier and higher-functioning employees. But simply offering a schedule of mindfulness programming and hoping for high engagement isn’t enough. Our clients that are the most successful truly approach their corporate wellness program from all angles with the goal to maximize employee engagement and utilization. And we’ve learned a lot over the years about what works! So we’re sharing five ways for HR and benefits teams to maximize their investment and get the most out of their workplace well-being program:

1. Garner leadership support and endorsement. 

Have you ever seen projects without the right leadership support just fall flat? Us too. It’s very difficult, perhaps impossible, to get employees to change their behavior unless they are encouraged to do so by leaders within their organization. When members of a leadership team endorse their workplace wellness program in a public forum, the message is crystal clear: “We want our team to take advantage of this benefit because we believe it will be good for employees and good for the company. We want you to be healthy because we care about you as people.” 

A few simple mentions of your program across a handful meetings or within a series of internal communications can do wonders for getting the ball rolling. 

2. Engage employees in the process. 

When people are invested in the design and implementation of programming at their workplace, you create buy-in and drive up employee engagement. (Plus generally the end result is much better!) To get started, create a cross-functional wellness committee tasked with providing input on your offerings, developing a communication strategy and coming up with creative ideas to get teams excited about their health. 

We’ve seen lots of engaging challenges and events focused on building human connection born from workplace wellness teams! This committee can spark an overall culture of wellness and create satisfaction across the organization because they become built-in advocates of your program. 

3. Get the word out.

Speaking of communications, your employees can’t know what you’re offering if you don’t let them know! We’ve all heard it before: tell them, tell them again and then tell them what you’ve told them. It applies here too, so partner with your internal communications team, stat. 

Make the initial announcement exciting, and keep the program top-of-mind with recurring reminders and an easily accessible posted schedule. Keep people’s interest by sharing incentives or wellness success stories—make it fun! 

4. Integrate programming into all-hands meetings or team events. 

Some employees might feel nervous about trying meditation or signing up for a professional development workshop on their own. But it’s a lot easier when the team tries it together! Kicking off your next big meeting with a guided meditation lets everyone give it a shot, and it’s a nice way for your leadership team to endorse the program. Post-event employees will feel a lot more comfortable checking out your full schedule of offerings and registering for a few classes to improve their health. 

5. Make it virtual. 

Let’s face it, online meetings are the norm these days and it doesn’t look like the shift to remote work is going anywhere anytime soon. But, offering classes virtually has its benefits! For starters, many companies (especially in larger cities) don’t have a lot of extra space to host classes, so it makes more sense for employees to practice online yoga or workout at home. Plus, virtual wellbeing classes mean your team can save time on traveling to a different space or changing clothes. 

Successful workplace wellness programs take work. But the investment pays dividends, and your employees are more than worth it. What challenges or successes have you encountered in getting a program off the ground?