This week’s Willis Towers Watson Global Benefits Attitudes Survey found employer health and well-being initiatives fall short with employees. Essentially, many employers “overestimate impact of programs and incentives on their employee’s health behavior.” And many don’t, too.
I agree 100 percent with the findings — that most programs feel like they are done TO and not FOR employees. This botches the “employee experience.”
That’s why I wrote an article about why corporate wellness failed in Forbes. That’s why Limeade launched changemakers to inspire HR practitioners to reinvent culture and lead change. That’s also why we’re hyper-focused on our own Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and user satisfaction scores. And it’s changing in large parts of the Fortune 500. For example, Limeade NPS is +41 and we innovate hard for our 4.7 out of 5 iOS app store rating. We keep a close eye on these to ensure people love and want to use our engagement platform.
It’s clear you can’t have programs that are all about checking the box instead of inspiring true improvement. You can’t treat people like widgets — you must treat them like people. And you can’t have a successful program if it’s focused on cutting health costs — at the expense of caring for people. If that’s the goal, spend your money elsewhere.
We know the best way to improve well-being and employee engagement is to invest authentically in your people. Like a family. And you do this by focusing on the whole person, the whole company and the whole ecosystem. Let’s break that down:
Whole person
We developed the first Well-Being Assessment that gives people a holistic look at their physical, emotional, financial and work well-being. We use this assessment to create a tailored program that meets people where they are and helps them improve in specific areas.
Whole company
This is the most difficult and important part. How can leaders, managers, teams, peers, social networks, affinity groups and more make people feel cared for and included — so they can be inspired and engaged? Limeade focuses on creating a culture of inclusion and belonging for our people and driven by our people, to align with who we are as a company and produce a powerful, lasting impact.
Whole ecosystem
Limeade connects to hundreds of devices and partners — including our own set of curated partners like Achievers, Accolade, Fitbit and SAP SuccessFactors.
If employers are truly committed to their employees, they’ll rethink how they do things. If they commit to building a culture that supports the whole person, the whole company and the whole ecosystem, they’ll be astounded by the business results.
Want to learn more about employee engagement? See how bringing hearts and minds to work is good for your people and your business.
