the pivot

When the pandemic hit, HealthSource Solutions had to close the doors to our corporate Wellness and Fitness Centers. Our staff did what many employees had to do: they pivoted. That meant they became health and wellness coaches from their homes which had them connecting with employees in a variety of ways:   live streaming classes, recorded wellness messages and classes, phone calls, emails, intranet communications,  and  virtual challenges. Keeping what we call our "secret sauce” of employee wellness going — our hands-on support — they continued to build meaningful connections with our clients and made an impact.

the good

Wellness and Fitness Centers are open again, although not at the capacity of previous years. Quite a few employees that have remote or hybrid status are choosing to come into the office for group exercise classes. Why?  Because they love the variety and motivation they get from our instructors and the other participants. Employees feel there is something special about the in-person environment that they can’t get with a virtual live stream on YouTube or web conferencing. Pre-pandemic, going to the Wellness and Fitness Center was once a large part of many employees’ daily routines. Now they are transitioning into a new routine with their workouts to relieve some stress and to build back strength and endurance lost due to the pandemic.

“Employees are loving the flexibility to come back into the office, and they see the Wellness Center as a huge perk and motivator to come in!”
— Emilee T., Program Manager

“I started a walking club recently and didn’t think many people would be interested, but I now have a good amount of people that come each week and they are asking for more scheduled walks per week now! “
— Hayley J., Sr. Wellness Specialist

the barriers

Two main challenges  came up as we reopened our onsite Wellness and Fitness Centers: Communication and the Hybrid Work Model.

Communication

The most difficult part of this transition is finding methods of communication.  It is challenging to get in front of hybrid employees, but we got creative with how we delivered information by utilizing multiple communication channels. Our communications avenues include:

• Electronic billboards on TVs
• Flyers in break rooms
• Emailed newsletter
• Posts to intranet sites like SharePoint and Yammer
• Special events in high-traffic areas (outdoor yoga near the cafeteria at lunchtime)
• Setting up a table near the entrance or cafeteria
• Creating videos and shorter trailers (reels + shorts) on YouTube and other platforms
• Passing out voucher codes for more points on the wellness portal
• Posting or emailing a daily trivia question
• Sharing calendar invites to events and activities
• Individualized and personal emails to select participants
• Utilizing facility-wide corporate communications
• Leveraging team leaders and managers to share information
• Hosting open houses, lunch n’ learns, seminars and webinars to share information

We continually learn, brainstorm, and use new ways to connect with employees. This includes coordinating with companies for email access to grant us “send rights” to all employees, offering options to be added to a specific newsletter distribution list, and word of mouth.

Hybrid Work Model

In a hybrid work model, enticing employee utilization of the Wellness and Fitness Center is more of a challenge when working from home is an option. Many employees acquired their own workout equipment to use at home, or they have a gym they go to on a regular basis that’s close to home and offers more amenities than our centers. These scenarios often make being a member of a corporate fitness center obsolete. We try to encourage employees to see the social and mental  wellbeing benefits of this onsite facility, as well as the physical benefits.

“I have spoken with a couple of individuals who need some variety in their work week and CHOOSE to come onsite to see their colleagues in person and visit the Wellness Center.”
— Anna M., Sr. Program Manager

the future

As we navigate the changing workforce and strive to enrich employee wellbeing, it is important that our onsite Wellness and Fitness staff focus on these three aspects of their work:

Continue to Be Flexible

Not only is the future of work is changing, but the future of the wellness industry is also changing. We need to continue to be flexible and adaptable. We must  be as prepared as possible for an event, project, or program, but also ready to adapt with a potential backup plan if things don’t go how you imagined.

Continue to Provide Quality Services

Our staff are confident from the feedback we’ve received from employees that they value the quality of our services.  Once an employee experiences  our webinars, live offerings, classes, meditations, flex breaks, personal exercise programs, or health coaching, they will want to come back or refer a co-worker. We can keep the quality up and continue to grow and improve on those services.

Continue to Provide Outreach to Meet the Needs of All Employees

Our virtual services and platforms are still in high demand, so  what we have built can be successful for any work setting — in-person or hybrid. Sites with hybrid employees are continuing to offer virtual and in-person services including personal exercise programs, wellbeing partner chats, health coaching, custom events, virtual meditations, fitbreaks, flexbreaks, and webinars. We are meeting each employee where they are: on-site, in a different state, or in a different country. Once we connect with those individuals, we are asking them what works best for them vs. assuming what they want.

“We must do everything we can to find new ways to reach people and if it gets just one more person to engage and start to live a healthier life then that is worth the time and effort.”  — Anna M., Sr. Program Manager