In the past ten years of supporting corporate wellness programs across the globe, there are a few key mistakes that can make or break the success of your employee well-being initiatives. Whether you're working with me or another vendor, I'm laying them out here so you can switch things up for more engagement and overall wellness throughout your organization.
Mistake #1: Not asking what employees want
You might think that all employees would love to get on their mat in the middle of the day to stretch out those tired muscles, but is that what they want? You might think that nobody would enjoy pausing for 15 minutes to meditate and breathe, but do they think that?
There is absolutely no point in creating an offer for employees to take advantage of that you do not know if they want, need or actually will attend. I encourage every client of mine to offer a survey with at least these questions below when offering a new wellness program - unless they have a small team that they know very well who have already expressed interest and will dedicate time to attend.
Employee Wellness Program Survey
If we were to offer online wellness sessions, what would be the most beneficial for you:
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- Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management, Desk Stretches, Mat Yoga on the floor (and any other offerings you're trying to gauge interest in)
- 15 minute, 30 minute, 45 minute sessions
- M,T,W,Th,Fri
- Morning, During the lunch hour, After lunch, End of day (make sure you get time zones)
- Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
This is what I recommend asking at a minimum. Feel free to include more detailed questions based on your expectations, budgets and wellness issues that you want to address during the year. It would also be prudent to revisit this annually.
Mistake #2: Not giving employees what they requested
This one sounds basic, but I've seen this happen so many times mainly with duration of sessions. Employees requested a 15-minute stretch session on Mondays at lunch, but leadership wants to give them a 30-minute session so they employees take more time for themselves. The problem is that employees in a specific work culture or who have very laser-focused personalities can see a 30-minute block on their calendar and that feels way too long to be away from work - even though its being offered by work. Instead of showing up to the session and leaving early, they don't want to be rude and choose to opt out completely.
Yes, you're going to have scheduling conflicts and people won't show up due to illness or vacation. If you're going to ask them for their input, use their input as best you can. Otherwise, you'll feel like you wasted your time and money because nobody showed up. When in reality, nobody showed up because you didn't provide an offering that was needed at a time they told you they were available.
Mistake #3: No point person for the employee wellness program
You need a champion for every initiative in your company, especially something new (which many wellness offerings are). Not only do you need this person to take the lead on coordinating schedules of each wellness offering, reminding employees to sign up and attend, sharing wellness information at department and/or all hands meetings and building excitement about the program - you also need a backup for them in case of PTO, layoffs or a sudden exit. This will ensure continuity of your offerings, so there isn't a loss of support for your employees during transitions.
If you have your survey results in hand and are ready to offer Love + Asana sessions as part of your employee wellness program, I'd love to support you!
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About the Author:
Tiffany Lord, Founder of Love + Asana
Corporate Wellness Coach
Yoga Therapeutic Specialist
With over 10 years as a Corporate Wellness Coach, I focus on empowering professionals to build resilience and manage stress effectively. As the Founder of Love + Asana, I utilize a unique “Information + Integration” methodology to deliver accessible wellness workshops and sessions that emphasize movement, mindfulness, and stress management techniques tailored for the workplace.
Through virtual sessions and engaging workshops, I have guided thousands of employees in adopting practical, all-levels wellness strategies that positively influence both their professional and personal lives. Drawing from my 22 years in the wellness space, my expertise lies in stress management, private coaching in complementary wellness for Cancer and Migraine, healthy longevity, and helping organizations foster healthier & more resilient teams.