You've poured your heart and soul into securing the employee wellness budget, meticulously selecting top-notch vendors to bring the program to life, and now you're eager to see everyone participate. But let's face it—getting everyone to attend is a challenge.
While fostering a company culture that offers diverse options and celebrates when even a few employees find value in the program is ideal, the truth is, you're most likely accountable to those daunting words—return on investment. To maximize turnout, use my tried and true CPR method to encourage engagement in all of your wellness events this year.
Communicate Everywhere
Even if you think they already know about it and you've talked about it SO many times...say it again. Not only repetition but find other places to talk about your wellness program. Start with a calendar invite, then amplify your message by featuring it in your employee newsletter and highlighting it during team meetings. Use anything you can come up with to spread the word.
Protect Time
It doesn't do any good if you plan an impactful wellness event during regularly scheduled meeting times when employees can't actually attend...or worse - schedule your wellness event and book over it. This forces employees to choose between attending something beneficial and their work obligations. That's not the way to encourage participation. It looks like you're checking a box instead of actually offering something to support your team's wellbeing.
Block time on the calendar for your wellness event and rally leadership support to prevent any overlapping bookings. This is usually a 30-minute timeframe no more than a few times a month, so it's reasonable to request that employees aren't pulled into one-on-ones or impromptu sales meetings unless absolutely necessary.
Remind
Once you've spread the word and safeguarded the time from being double-booked, remember those crucial last-minute nudges. A reminder sent the day before and another an hour ahead of your session usually works wonders. This ensures that those who intended to join but got sidetracked by a project or a conference call receive a timely alert, giving them an hour to wrap things up. Just as you communicated the event through various channels, consider various reminder methods— email, a company-wide app, or even a text message if that's what resonates with your team. Choose whatever approach maximizes visibility and gets them to the event.
About the Author:
Tiffany Lord, E-RYT & Yoga Therapeutic Specialist
Corporate Yoga Coach
Resilience + Stress Management Expert
As the founder of Love + Asana, I help busy professionals feel more resilient and and increase agency in their wellness. This all-levels, accessible approach to physical and mental health at work allows employees to easily learn and implement healthy habits during their work day…and feel the benefits ripple out into all areas of life
Since 2016, I’ve had the honor of coaching thousands of employees through virtual sessions and workshops focused on relaxation techniques, mindset, and mobility. My wellness articles have been featured in fyi50+, CO Yoga + Life, and I’m the author of three “Get With Gratitude” journals based on my online workshop series for resiliency through a grateful mindset.
I completed a 200-hour training through CorePower Yoga and received my 500-hour Therapeutic Specialist certificate through Yoga Medicine to complement my background in massage therapy and Bachelor’s Degree in International Business with Cum Laude honors from the University of Colorado at Denver. As a Continuing Education Provider with the Yoga Alliance, I share my knowledge of functional movement and the mind-body connection with yoga instructors wanting to deepen their teaching toolkit.