Having a corporate wellness plan in place is the first step in improving the health and productivity of your employees. The second step? Measuring the return on your investment.
Although spending on corporate wellness programs continues to rise, with an increase of $220 per employee from 2009 to 2010, a large component of these programs is still missing. According to a recent survey, only 37% of corporate wellness programs have a system in place for measuring results. Although this may seem like a priority only for the businesses footing the bill, research has actually shown that the programs are more effective for employees when results are measured, and when the employees can track their own progress.
Similar to systems like Weight Watchers or The Biggest Loser challenges, where employees meet weekly for “weigh-ins” or meetings to discuss their progress, corporate wellness programs also need check points and support systems. These mechanisms help to ensure employees feel challenged as well as motivated and supported through the process of a wellness program.
Here at Wellness Workdays, we focus not only on creating a custom program, catering to the needs and goals of you and your employees, but we also ensure there is a way to track your employee’s progress throughout. Through systems such as our Strategic Consulting, we sit down with each and every company to determine what works best for you, in your setting, and with your people. Programs like our Olympic Circle provide accountability and incentives for the employees themselves. While we can all make wellness a priority, by providing both progress reporting and rewards for employees, you can raise self-esteem and promote wellness as more than just a benefit, making it a priority.
When considering the beneficial aspects of a corporate wellness program, make sure you consider a way to measure if the program is actually working. What concepts do your employees find helpful? Difficult? Motivating? Frustrating? Having a system in place for measuring return-on-investment ensures that you can adjust the program to best suit your employees. By recently completing my Wellness Council of America’s (WELCOA) Well Workplace University certification on How To Demonstrate A Return-On-Investment, we are able to measure benefits for your employees…and for your organization.
How does one go about learning more about ROI and how to show actual numbers to companies and outcomes? Would you recommend a welcoa membership? I am working with insurance and their individual/worksite health and wellness programs/curriculums. Thanks, always great info!
ReplyDeleteThank you! WELCOA is an excellent resource and has many valuable articles and webinars on the topic of ROI. To evaluate ROI, you must be able to measure the associated cost savings and compare with the actual costs of the program(s). Typically, it takes 3-5 years for companies to experience true savings in health care costs. Plus, companies are unlikely to see decreases in costs but rather a decrease in how much these costs are escalating. Good luck!
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