In our recent posts, we showed you the complete history of employee health and wellness. We also wrote about program design and development. Then, we showed you exactly how to properly promote and launch employee health incentive programs. We then shared how to evaluate the programs you’ve implemented. Most recently, you learned how to create programs regardless if the company is small or large.
Now your next step…..
Over the past several decades, the benefits of running an effective wellness campaign are undeniable. Companies of all sizes all over the world have found that by helping the employees improve their overall wellness, the company profits.
As a certified corporate wellness coach, you are going to be the individual in charge of developing that winning program. You are going to use your data, knowledge, experience, and creativity to craft an effective wellness program that incorporates as many different health risks as possible and improves the lives of employees of the company.
How to Develop a Winning Program
- To create a successful wellness program, you need to start with your data. They key to being a productive corporate wellness coach is letting the objectivity of your data to help drive your decisions, rather than creating a program based on your own subjective criteria.
- Once you have collected your data, you will need to create goals. You should have two different types of goals – first, you need to create primary goals that the executives agree should be the benchmark of your measurements of success. Second, you should develop your own secondary goals for what you hope to also achieve within the company. All these goals should be agreed upon by your wellness committee, should be mapped out in advance, and should be based on your data.
- Next, you will need to start choosing evidence-based programs to help you achieve those goals. Start first with your primary goals, because unless you can find programs that will produce those measurable results, you are going to have a hard time justifying your programs with the company. Next look for programs that achieve your secondary goals. Try your best to have them overlap.
- Look for incentives. You need employees to want to participate in your programs, otherwise the benefits to the company will be slim. From t-shirts to cash to complete benefits re-designs, if it is likely to improve the company’s participation it is worth exploring.
- Afterward you will need to create your budget. Your budget should be as comprehensive as possible. Try not to use estimates – do your best to find real, concrete numbers and do the math for variability. Contact local companies and agencies to see if you can work out discounts or deals.
- Next it is time to market your programs to the company. Winning programs are going to need marketing to be completed long in advance of their launch date. If you have not decided on a program, market a lifestyle choice to get people excited about the concept of wellness. Keep information everywhere and try to reach out to all employees in as many ways as possible.
- Once your programs are launched, a winning program should be evaluated often. No program is going to be perfect from the beginning. Evaluate every step and adjust when necessary. Makes sure that you are doing whatever it takes to reach your goals.
These are the steps you will take as a corporate wellness coach to help achieve success in the industry. Winning programs will take each of these steps seriously and do their best to learn what is and is not effective in the workplace.
Preparing For Your Role as a Corporate Wellness Coach
Corporate wellness coaching is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after careers in the business world. You will find that your services are necessary at companies both large and small. The health of workers all over the world is continually deteriorating. Your role as a corporate wellness coach is to come into each of these businesses and help employees become healthy, successful contributors to their company.
The best thing you can do as a coach is continuing to learn about new and inventive ways to initiate wellness programs in the workplace. New studies are released every day with innovative and exciting wellness programs that you can use to help businesses become more profitable, and help employees become healthier.
Wellness programs are constantly changing. Research efforts have shown that new and interesting wellness activities can be beneficial in a variety of different settings. The health risks, size of the company, budget and corporate culture can all play a role in which programs are effective, and as a corporate wellness coach you will often find that your own creativity may provide you with new and interesting ways to support wellness programs.
Here are some examples of programs and policies that some companies have decided to initiate and support in their own wellness campaigns:
Physical Fitness
- Stair Climbing – Companies give incentives to employees that choose the stairs over the elevator. The CDC funded the “Let’s Go! StairWELL” initiative and found considerable success in this small program alone.
- Intramural Sports Teams – Engaging employees in different types of sports activities is a beneficial way to keep employees interested and active.
- Flextime – Employees that were allowed less strict schedules to fit fitness into their day were often seen to take advantage of those programs.
- On-site Fitness Centers – Ideally one of the most effective ways to promote on-site fitness activity. Classes and promotions can be added to improve reach and participation.
- Incentive Walking Programs – It is recommended that the average person takes 10,000 steps a day. Incentive programs using pedometers can help people reach those goals.
- Behavior Change Software – Companies that have software to manage their employee’s behavior change are both able to keep a good record of what employees are participating in and changing and provide a central location that motivates employees to take action.
Nutrition
- Healthy Cafeteria Food – The healthier food is available within the workplace, the more nutrition becomes a part of corporate culture.
- Nutrition Classes – Classes from nutritionists are a good way to actively teach employees how to manage their weight and maintain a healthy diet.
- Healthy Vending Machines – All food available in the company should be replaced with foods that support a healthy diet.
- Restaurant Awareness – For employees that tend to eat away from the office, a list of the healthiest nearby options (as well as a list of unhealthy choices) can be made available.
- Direct Marketing of Healthy Food – Large companies can have their own markets that resemble farmer’s markets that during certain weeks to allow easy healthy food shopping by employees.
Smoking
- Policy Change – Companies should change their policies to make it harder for people to smoke. Banning smoking in and/or near the building and banning smoke breaks are a good beginning.
- Smoking Cessation Programs – Companies can offer reimbursement for employees that take advantage of smoking cessation programs.
- Literature – Anti-smoking literature is easy to distribute, cost effective, and can help motivate employees to make a change. Of course, digital is needed as well.
Stress Management
- Management Training – Companies can train executives and supervisors on proper stress management techniques to reduce employee stress and anxiety in the workplace.
- Financial Planning – Companies can provide financial planning experts free of charge to reduce financial stress of their employees.
- On-Site Counselor – If the company can afford an on-site counselor to stop by once a week, employees can seek regular assistance solving their own stress issues.
- Company Re-organization – Employees that struggle with the organization of their company can experience considerable stress. Re-organizing the company can help decrease that stress.
- Direct Intervention – The CDC recommends direct intervention on each of the causes of stress to establish new policies that reduce stress and boost morale.
Illness Reduction
- Flu Shots – Providing on site doctors and nurses to provide flu shots can drastically cut down on used sick days.
- Medical Self Care Training – Employees are taught how to better understand their own health, how to deal with health issues, and what programs they can use to prevent illness and disease.
- Voluntary Blood Pressure Screenings – Help employees discover and monitor their current blood pressure and identify anything that may be causing them to experience hypertension.
- Health Advice Lines – Free or reimbursed health lines for expert information regarding employee physical health.
Occupational Safety
- Assigning Internal Inspectors – Many companies have chosen representatives to gauge occupational safety in the workplace, and supply information on how to best encourage safe workplace precautions.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Policies – When the company has a lot of employees that use computer systems, precaution and training against carpal tunnel syndrome should become a mandatory part of the company.
Here are your training courses for this career path:
Certified Corporate Wellness Coach
Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach
Certified Wellness Coach
Certified Integrative Health Coach
