Wellness is applicable and relevant to everyone. The question is, do your employees feel the same when it comes to your corporate wellness benefits? The focus and mission of a corporate wellness program should not just serve a portion of the workforce; instead, every employee should benefit. Achieving this level of inclusivity can seem daunting, especially for those organizations that have a diverse workforce.
However, there are several ways to ensure your organization provides wellness benefits that can meet all needs.
It’s important to remember that effective wellness programs don’t just address fitness, they address a wide range of wellness and health-related areas. This was highlighted in a HUB article which said, “Finding the common ground occupied by your distinct employee groups is important. So is the need to frame your solutions to their wellness issues in a holistic manner. Having a wellness program that goes beyond the physical considerations will generate payoff with a more motivated, productive and competitive diverse workforce where everyone thrives.”
Go to the source
One of the best proactive solutions an organization can take, is to talk directly with your workforce. You can never go wrong when you ask the very group you want to serve. And asking shouldn’t just be a wide net that is cast out to the general public; take the time to understand the various demographics of your company and directly inquire from those groups to get a more accurate reading of desires, needs, and concerns. Make it a priority to frequently poll your employees, as well as prospective employees on their experience with the programs you offer and what they’d like to see. Asking doesn’t commit you to delivering on their requests; but, knowing what individuals would like to see helps you see if current programs align with those desires or if they don’t.
As you seek input, make sure there are metrics in place to measure participation to understand whether those opinions are leading to actual engagement. In addition, it’s important to keep HR professionals aware of up-and-coming wellness solutions or best practices; there could be new approaches that meet the needs of your workforce like never before. If you don’t know what is available and working in the industry, it could prove difficult to successfully address the feedback you receive from your employees.
Understanding your demographics
As mentioned previously, a key part of providing benefits that are truly beneficial is knowing who you are serving. Chances are you have a workforce comprised of men, women, multiple generations and various cultures — all faced with different personal and professional-related expectations and stresses. That’s a lot to unpack and understand. Put simply, what the millennial young woman on floor six is looking for in a wellness offering is likely to be different from the baby boomer gentleman on floor two.
While there are plenty of programs that are applicable no matter the age, stage in life or background, being aware of your demographics provides insight into what health-related concerns they may have and what their priorities are. Knowing who your people are and what they value most will naturally lead you to invest in and provide the best kind of benefits.
In addition to these demographics, it’s important to address those in your workforce that may fall into a nontraditional work structure. It can be easy to feel lost in the shuffle of employees when you aren’t physically present at the office. Feeling a part of the company when it comes to events, benefits and overall culture can be difficult. Ironically, the flexibility that many experience in the workplace today — namely, telecommuting — can make it difficult to feel like other wellness benefits apply to you. If your organization allows for virtual workplaces and they are prominent, find ways to directly reach out and connect regarding their needs.
In the end, a wellness program that offers flexibility, choice and value are going to be universally appreciated. Solutions like ClassPass are allowing organizations to offer that freedom of choice to their employees, learn more here.
