Nine out of ten Canadian employees have identified wellbeing as their top priority this year.

What’s more, these workers are demanding that their employers step up and support them. Research shows that almost half of employees are relying on their employers for wellbeing support. And while many organizations are creating offerings, from free healthy snacks to healthy activity tracking or financial literacy programs, they may still be falling short.

In essence, offering wellbeing programs doesn’t necessarily address the issues. A series of unrelated wellbeing programs may or may not make employees feel supported – with the result that these offerings often have little to no impact on employee health and wellbeing.

So, if your organization wants to make wellbeing a focal point of the organization, what’s the right way to make that happen? Take a step back and create a strategy to really make an impact.

Identify the Unique Needs of the Employees

Employees have unique needs. Your employees aren’t all in the same financial position and don’t live in the same neighbourhoods or do the same activities in their spare time, so they likely all have different struggles when it comes to their mental health. And while many organizations are content to offer the same benchmarked programs their competitors offer, it’s obvious that this will not guarantee success.

This makes creating a wellbeing strategy essential. A comprehensive strategy answers the fundamental question: Why are we offering these supports and initiatives? It identifies which programs are relevant to employees – including whether a program appeals to just one segment of the population – and can help determine how the many programs will work together to create one cohesive strategy for the organization.

A wellbeing strategy isn’t just about the programs on offer. Instead, it’s about employees feeling supported when they’re struggling, in whatever areas they struggle. When the initiatives are easy to find and take advantage of, and the managers are approachable and helpful, employee wellbeing is perceived as being important in the organization. This also creates impact.

4 Steps to Getting Started

Identifying the unique needs of the employees might sound complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Every organization has data, even if they aren’t using it to its fullest. And much of what the employees want can be pulled out of that data, if you use the data appropriately.

Use these 4 steps to get started:

1. Begin with the data. Examine current information about usage of current program offerings. Break down the data into demographic groupings to determine who is using the programs. Look at growing health risks, such as an increase in diabetes medication or a rise in mental-health related disability leaves. Some of the programs may be related, while others aren’t. But the information will reveal what is important to the employees.
2. Move wellbeing front and center. Examine the organizational goals and values, and find ways for wellbeing programs to support those goals. For example, if the organization prioritizes environmental sustainability, it may be a good idea to provide incentives for using alternative methods of commuting, such as installing bike racks and electric car charging stations, and to allow for flexible working arrangements that don’t require employees to come into the office every day or to travel during rush hour.
3. Set wellness goals. It’s likely that HR teams have seen some concerning issues in the data, whether it’s a rising number of disability claims or an increase in blood pressure or diabetes medication. In that example, the organization could not only review mental health coverage but also introduce workplace meditation breaks or mentorship opportunities to help reduce and address issues that may be leading to additional stress among employees.
4. Review communication strategies. If employees don’t know about the wellness programs, they can’t take advantage of them. Share information regularly, and make sure to share information across platforms (i.e., email, videos). At the same time, take steps to ensure that each communication you share has a purpose, a clear call to action, or an offer for support. If the message doesn’t meet this standard, don’t send it.

Most organizations truly care about their employees. Not only do healthy employees show up to work regularly, but they are also happier, more engaged and more productive when they are there. But meeting those objectives doesn’t just mean throwing a program out into the workplace and hoping it sticks. The most successful organizations will offer targeted programs that they know will be successful – even before their employees know they need them.

Faizal Mitha is Chief Sales and Innovation Officer for global insurance brokerage Hub International’s Employee Benefits division in Canada.