If your company has made corporate wellness a priority, it’s likely a significant amount of time and resources have been spent to help make those programs successful. As a result, the burning question of leadership is, “how do we know if this is successful?” The answer is seemingly complicated; success, after all, can be defined a myriad of ways. However, at the crux of any measurement of success is employee engagement. That is the key to effective programs.
Integrating a successful wellness plan isn’t an “implement and leave it alone” process. Well-run programs can’t be put on autopilot. Instead, they require the attention and commitment of leadership. According to SHRM, “Specific practices that support the effectiveness of wellness programs include having a formal strategic plan, company leaders who actively participate in programs, and a volunteer network of ‘wellness champions’ to provide peer support for wellness initiatives.”
Provided you have leaders who are dedicated to offering programs that meet the needs of their workforce and are committed to its success, there are a number of ways to track, measure and analyze employee engagement.
Look at enrollment
One of the first steps in determining engagement is your employee “sign up” rate. Before employees can enjoy any of the offerings you provide, there’s likely an initial registration or sign up process to access those benefits. Mere registration doesn’t yield an understanding of use — though it does give you a baseline of who is ready to engage. Taking the analysis one step further, leverage any indicators you may have in place for when employees use the programs that are provided. That capability will likely differ from program to program, but looking at use rates through attendance, downloads, electronic sign-ups, event registrations, etc. you will better understand how many individuals are actually accessing the benefits offered.
Just ask
Go directly to the source and ask each stakeholder of the wellness program what their experience is with engagement. Survey your employees on a periodic basis and ask them how they feel about the offerings, how often they use them, what would help boost their engagement, etc. On the flip side, reach out to partnering organizations that are providing the services in order to get their view of engagement statistics regarding your employees. Keep track of those numbers over time to watch for trends.
Engage technology
When it comes to tracking information, the integration of technology is going to provide the greatest accuracy and capability. Several platforms are available for companies to implement specifically for corporate wellness initiatives. For example, Justworks, a well-known HR technology provider, has partnered with ClassPass Corporate to provide personalized wellness offerings based on unique needs. Other companies like Welltok, Terryberry and Cigna provide specialized platforms to provide integrated wellness offerings. Another approach some companies offer is the integrated use of wearable technology via watches, phones, etc. that can track activity like steps, heart rate, etc. One Washington Post article spoke to the caveat of this type of tracking, “In general, employees in such programs voluntarily sign up for digital health monitoring. They are lured by cash, reduced premiums, or reimbursements for co-payments and deductibles, which have skyrocketed for many people with insurance. The devices are handed out free or discounted.”
Based on the wellness priorities that are best suited for your workforce, there are technology solutions and internal tracking methods that will keep leadership in the loop on the effectiveness —or lack thereof — of your wellness initiatives. Committed leaders seek this information continually and adjust as needed in order to benefit the most individuals as possible. ClassPass Corporate provides insight and support throughout the tracking and engagement process — learn more by contacting us today.
