It’s no secret that a well-being program offers important benefits to organizations and their people. But convincing leadership of the value of a new well-being program or continuing to prove the merits of an existing program can be tricky. Check out these tips for getting the leadership feedback and buy-in you need for well-being program success.
6 ways to gain senior leadership buy-in for a new well-being program:
1. Solicit feedback about the proposed well-being program from leaders and employees.
The first step in getting buy-in is to collect feedback on what key stakeholders—both employees and leaders—envision for the new program. For example, leaders in your organization may feel productivity has suffered and would be interested in well-being initiatives aimed at reducing absenteeism. An employee survey may reveal that the population has unmet caregiving or mental health needs that impact their time away from work. In this way, such surveys can give you different data to help refine well-being program offerings. The data can also help highlight what leaders stand to gain from the well-being program and how it might align with their performance and business goals.
2. Identify leadership allies.
Once you have solid data in hand, you can then approach leaders who are already supportive of well-being initiatives and enlist their support as advocates to help sway other leaders. Stress to these allies that building a culture of well-being takes support beyond Benefits and Human Resources and should be seen as a company-wide mission.
3. Present a well-researched business case.
Arm leadership and other employee well-being advocates with specific data points about the benefits of a well-being program. And be sure to tailor your points to your audience. For example, HR leaders may be more interested in employee engagement metrics, while finance leaders will likely focus on return on investment. Below are examples of well-being program benefits you can share:
- Improved employee health and well-being, resulting in lower costs. Well-designed, comprehensive well-being programs can lead to substantial savings in health care costs, workers’ compensation and disability management claims.
- Increased productivity. Better employee health can lead to reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, which increases productivity. Given the fact that illness-related lost productivity costs U.S. employers $530 billion per year, this is not insignificant.
- Increased employee engagement. Studies have shown that organizations who invest in the well-being of their employees have higher employee engagement. Gallup offers numerous studies to demonstrate how high employee engagement has a measurable impact on business outcomes and the bottom line.
- Reduced turnover. Turnover is expensive—in fact, the cost of replacing an employee is estimated at one half to two times an employee’s annual salary. Employee well-being has been linked to greater employee retention.
- Business performance. A study of companies who received the Koop Health Award (awarded to organizations with outstanding workplace well-being programs) found that these organizations outperformed the S&P 500 index for the 14 years tracked. In fact, these organizations’ stock value appreciated by 325% compared with the market average appreciation of 105% for that period.
4. Show alignment with organizational goals.
Demonstrate how the well-being program aligns with the company’s mission and vision, and how a healthier and happier workforce can contribute to a positive culture and organizational success. For example, if your values include employee well-being, make the link between this and the implementation of the well-being program.
5. Benchmark your organization against industry peers or competitors.
Wellness programs are becoming increasingly important to employees, especially those of younger generations. In fact, a recent Mercer study found that 64% of employers plan to enhance health and well-being offerings. Highlight areas where your organization’s approach to well-being is lagging compared to competitors and explain how the proposed well-being program can help bridge the gap. Ask your intended well-being provider to share case studies of like clients who have successfully implemented a well-being program. To engage leaders on a more personal level, provide examples of other senior leaders who have endorsed corporate wellness programs in their own organizations.
6. Propose a pilot program.
Suggest starting with a small-scale pilot program to demonstrate the effectiveness of the well-being initiatives. This approach allows you to gather data and testimonials before expanding the program.
Above all, remember that soliciting leadership feedback and building buy-in is an ongoing process. Be ready to answer questions, offer additional information, and adapt your approach.
6 ways to sustain leadership support for an existing employee well-being program:
Whether you’ve had a well-being program in place for a year or 10 years, it’s critical to continually seek leadership feedback and demonstrate the well-being program’s value. Here are ways to sustain support:
1. Share regular updates on the progress and impact of the well-being program.
Track employee participation rates over time for things like Health Assessments, wellness challenges, participation in clinical management programs and engagement with the well-being platform. Use metrics, data, and key performance indicators to demonstrate how the program is impacting health care costs, employee engagement, retention, and overall well-being. Make the connection back to the organization’s strategic goals and values.
2. Invite employee success stories.
Seek testimonials that show how the well-being program positively affected employees’ work and personal lives and share with leadership. Repeat surveys to garner employee and leadership feedback on the well-being program to show how it is responding to employee and business needs and changing circumstances.
3. Continue to benchmark.
Continuously compare the well-being program to industry best practices and benchmarks and offer insights on how the organization is performing in comparison to like organizations. Encourage companies to apply for industry awards to get public recognition for their well-being program efforts.
4. Involve leadership in the well-being program.
Well-being programs with leadership involvement tend to have higher participation. Encourage leadership to actively participate in the well-being program so they can experience its value first-hand, while also sending a powerful message to employees that well-being is a core organizational value. If possible, appoint a publicly visible executive sponsor who is willing to talk about the well-being program at town hall events and share personal stories to help bring the program to life.
5. Enlist manager support.
Managers are the front line to employees, so find ways to involve them in health promotions, such as inter-departmental wellness challenges or “well-being minutes” they can use during weekly team meetings. Also, don’t forget to seek managers’ feedback on the well-being program as employees will often share candid opinions with their manager.
6. Remind leaders of how the well-being program can help with organizational change.
Change is a constant in today’s world. A well-being program can help smooth transitions for organizations who are going through a restructure, merger, or acquisition. A well-being program unites different parts of the organization around the shared goal of health, increasing camaraderie and impacting culture in a positive way.
Need help gathering employee and leadership feedback and constructing your well-being program pitch, or demonstrating its ongoing value? We can help. Contact us at connect@webmd.net or request a demo today.
