The Healthy Office: Ways to Build Participation in Your Workplace Wellness Program in 2015
Posted by Amelia K. on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014 with 4 Comments
As you’re making all of the big plans that go along with prepping your company for the end of 2014 and start of a new year, make sure you’re also thinking about how to continue engaging your employees with your workplace wellness program. Since your ultimate goal is to create a big impact with your program – both for your employee’s health and your business’s bottom line – it’s important to not just strategically plan how you’ll grow your company, expand your marketing, and build more capacity into your operational structure, but also how you’ll continue to instill healthy values into your company culture.
If it’s not something you’ve done before, know that promoting an internal program is a lot like marketing your business externally; it’s just done on a much more condensed platform. Since your core demographic is looking you in the face every day, it can actually be a lot easier to market a program to your internal team than it is to go externally to a much broader audience. You already know exactly where to reach your staff, five days a week. To help you build an internal marketing program that’s engaging and encourages your employees to participate in all of the opportunities your business will be offering, consider the tips we’ve outlined below. You’ll be sure to kick off the new year with a smashing success!
Building excitement for what your company will offer in 2015 – like a fun, invigorating barre class – starts today.
Photo Credit: Flickr user quinn.anya
Build the Anticipation
Before the new year even starts to approach, start working out ways that you can promote all of the exciting ways you’ll be helping your staff improve their lives over the upcoming 12 months. Use all of the tools available to you – virtual and tangible – to create engagement and inspire a healthy office. Here are a few ways you can start to promote the programming your company will offer in 2015:
- Send out exciting teaser emails: Set up a weekly email that reveals a clue about something fun and new you’ll be incorporating into your wellness program. For example, if you’re bringing in a local barre instructor for a six-week exercise class, drop hints in the form of partial pictures of what a barre class looks like, rhymes that hint to the class topic, or a scavenger hunt that leads your staff to see a ballet barre in the main entryway. Once you’ve made the announcement, send out a final email that talks about why the class will be so much fun and is perfect for those of any activity level, encouraging more members your team to sign up.
- Workplace posters: Have your graphics department design fun posters that can be put up around your office that illustrate exactly what you’ll be offering in the new year, like lunch-and-learns focused on a balanced lifestyle, workout buddies to help stay accountable, and new easy-to-order food choices for lunch through our virtual cafeteria service. Then be sure to include how employees can sign up to participate.
- Make a video: It’s important to remember that people will retain information better when it’s presented in multiple formats. A video is a fun way to talk about all the exciting things your company will be offering from an employee wellness perspective. Not only that, but it’s a great way to feature on the careers page of your website what sets your company apart in terms of benefits, encouraging more recruits to consider working for your business over your competitors.
- Get vocal: Sharing what will be available on a regular basis with your team will help to really build excitement across the board. If your company has a tiered information system, make sure you’re giving different managers and supervisors the right talking points to use in their own team meetings to help them continue to spread excitement and participation across all levels of your company. Remember, the higher your participation, the healthier your workplace will become over time.
Kick Off the New Year Right
When everyone returns to work right after the New Year’s holiday, don’t forget to kick off your wellness program on the right foot. Start off with a catered lunch buffet that features a lot of choices to support a healthy office, like steamed veggies, grilled meats, and fresh fruits to help your employees stick to their newly formed healthy lifestyle resolutions. Consider bringing in a lifestyle expert to discuss how individuals at your business can maintain the best balance in their work and personal lives, and how they can incorporate small, healthy choices into their everyday lifestyle. And don’t forget to leave them with a fun takeaway item that commemorates the start of the new year. Depending on your budget, this could be anything from a stress ball shaped like a running shoe or a gift certificate to a local shoe retailer, so that your employees can go buy themselves a new pair of workout shoes. It may even be helpful to have a podiatry expert come in to share with employees helpful tips in selecting appropriate footwear for different activities and everyday foot health. Every opportunity to get employees engaged and involved is valuable.
Building a Healthy Office in the New Year
No matter what your wellness goals are for 2015, the important thing is to start promoting them now to build a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the opportunities you’re bringing to the office. As more of your staff becomes aware of the special programs your company is putting in place and how these programs are a great way to start living a little healthier, you’ll notice your participation numbers rise. The key with any kind of internal promotion is to almost over-communicate what’s happening. The more you promote the fun opportunities you’re bringing to your team, the more likely they’ll remember to sign up for the new programs.
With everything else on your plate that goes along with planning for the holiday season and the end of the calendar year for your business, taking care of all of these steps might seem a little overwhelming. And that’s where Waiter.com can help. We’ll help you plan the perfect catered menu for your 2015 kickoff lunch buffet – something that’s healthy, filling and fun for your employees! We can also help you set up delicious daily lunch options for your staff, helping them to find tasty and healthy options to support their new year goals. However you want to support your team, we’ll help you get the new year started with a bang!
When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!
I really wish my workplace offered a wellness program, especially since most of us sit at a desk all day long and probably don’t get the exercise we may need through out the day.
You should bring it up with management – or start an informal walking group over the lunch hour!
I love the fact that my company offers a wellness program. We actually have the option of getting $200 twice a year back on our paychecks, by participating in certain wellness activites (like enrolling in a sport, or a gym program).
That’s awesome! We love hearing about companies that reward employees for being healthy!