3-minute read
Creating wellness programs from the ground up is a heavy lift. That’s why the corporate wellness market has grown to a $57 billion industry — to meet the need for services that would be too time- and cost-prohibitive to build in-house. Despite myriad options for health risk assessments, screenings, coaching, challenges, fitness management, nutrition, weight loss, and more, the services usually offer little customization beyond logo placement and minor text changes.
Limited customization isn’t a bad thing; it’s a trade-off: Narrowing choice and flexibility can make products more affordable but less relatable. So HES challenges are built around universally relatable benefits — fun, connection, achievement, and being part of a group all working toward the same goal.
But for mature wellness programs that have been there, done that, and handed out the T-shirts, stepping up to a robust, custom challenge can inject new energy into the organization. It can pull in employees who’ve dropped out as well as newbies seeking the promise of an offering tailored to them.
What matters to participants
- Being engaged. Crafting content to interest everyone can be a challenge, but it helps to consider what’s common across your workforce: geography, company products and history, industry insights, causes, and culture.
- Achieving something big. Most people want to be stretched, not settle for incremental improvement. Don’t be afraid to throw down the gauntlet. Set high health behavior goals to see significant progress.
- Belonging to a group/contributing to something beyond themselves. Shoot for multiple team and buddy opportunities as well as unforced, random acts of support along the way.
- Having fun. Work involves enough unfun things, so aim for a theme with a little whimsy to stir the imagination.
What matters to you
- Branding. A custom program should feel like it was developed around your brand, which includes everything from logo to color scheme to voice to font and image choices. This matters less to participants than a quality experience so don’t get hung up on the little stuff, but wherever you can, dovetail with your overall brand.
- Quality. With some vendors, sales pitch is the strongest factor, not quality. The best way to confirm a provider can deliver on their promise is by asking previous buyers specific questions. Hesitancy to supply references that can confirm quality is a red flag.
- Service. You and your participants should expect same business day responses that lead to solutions… not apologies. If a vendor isn’t set up to meet that, they’re not positioned to create a custom experience for your population.
How bp Created a Well-Being Challenge Masterpiece in the Middle of a Pandemic
Recognizing the world was changing rapidly in spring 2020, with the impact of COVID-19 and more employees working from home, bp decided to move up the launch of their custom challenge Run-A-Muck, created with HES’s Canvas platform. bp’s leaders were looking for a way to keep employees connected during the pandemic — feedback from the field was that many were feeling increasingly isolated.
Read the full story of how bp doubled participation while strengthening participant connections across 59 countries.
About Canvas
Canvas delivers well-being challenge freedom and flexibility — taking customization to a whole new level. Request a no-obligation demo today.
Dean Witherspoon
Chief collaborator, nudger, tinkerer; leads the most inventive team creating well-being and sustainable living programs. Reach out if you’d like to talk about employee well-being, emotional fitness, or eco-friendly living.
