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14 Keys to a Successful Wellness Program in 2025
Not all wellness programs are created equal. Nor are they planned and executed equally. If you’re looking to implement a wellness program or improve your wellness program, below are our 14 keys to a successful wellness program in 2025. We reviewed reams of client feedback data and summarized our learnings from 2024. Enjoy!
#1: Recognize that an app is NOT a wellness program.
People have tool fatigue. Another way to say this is “nobody needs another app.” Apps are great IF they are used, but they’re on a phone, and the phone is the epicenter of distractions. Plus, there’s such little differentiation between hundreds of apps, making decision fatigue and FOMO-driven app anxiety a real thing.
#2: Integrate wellness into day to day business activities.
Include 5 minutes of breathwork at the start of a meeting. Walk during meetings. Integrate wellness to-dos into daily huddles or weekly reviews. Move wellness from something extra that has to be done to something that is part of a work activity already being done.
#3: Human Connection and Social Cohesion must be at the core of a wellness program.
This means in-person (ideal) or live virtual settings. We are humans, and we therefore emulate others and implicitly give and receive permission from one another to behave a certain way. Healthy behaviors are especially reliant on this human connection.
#4: ‘Know’ Your Coaches
In step with #3, coaching and training outcomes are vastly improved if employees have physically met a Coach, or at least have seen that coach as part of a group. If a training or coaching program is launched, at the very least have an in-person kickoff. That initial human connection between employee and trainer/coach pays huge dividends with sustained engagement.
#5: Leaders must lead by example
Leadership must ACTIVELY support and be seen participating in activities. Leadership participation and transparency about their wellness journey can lead to a 20-25% bump in wellness program engagement. We estimate that a program with 30-40% participation can surpass 65% SUSTAINED participation with authentic leadership participation.
#6: Wellness can be a strategic differentiator
On a related point, program ownership should be someone at the c-level. If HR doesn’t have a true seat in the c-suite (i.e. CHRO, Chief Well-Being Officer), HR should not own the program. Communications about the program need to come from that c-level owner to signal the importance of the program and that it has support ‘from the top’.
#7: Have a wellness offering for leaders.
Speaking of leaders, they are STRUGGLING and LONELY. They can benefit from an additional forum where they are allowed and encouraged to be human. Focusing on longevity as a leader is an approach that seems to resonate with this segment of your people.
#8: VOI, not ROI
While return on investment (ROI) is great, know that positive ROI is unlikely to happen in Year 1. Consider value on investment (VOI) as a proxy for the first 18 months of a program. That value will be seen in a more connected group of people, better leadership throughout the organization, and improved trust.
#9: Think Wellness Plan, not Wellness Random
Wellness is predicated on education and behavior modifications. Programs that include learning pathways are FAR more impactful than those that are random (i.e. aligning with calendar-based awareness themes).
#10: Small is all
When employees choose one small thing to focus on, the chances of a successful behavioral modification are reasonable. Build your program around that concept.
#11: Short = wins = progress
If challenges or team-based activities are included in the program, shorter is better. Rather than look to change behavior over the course of an elongated challenge, focus on the social cohesion created by a shorter challenge where engagement remains high. A 5 day team-based challenge with 40% participation and 90% completion is a win. A 21 day challenge with 15% participation and 20% completion makes wellness feel out of reach for those who need it most.
#12: Surroundings MATTER – make work a Well Zone
Your employees’ surroundings are crucial to sustained well-being. While your organization has very little impact on where employees live, you can help by turning the workplace into what we like to call a Well Zone. Included in this are simple things like access to natural light, outdoor spaces, places to socialize, quiet spaces, greenery, fresh air and healthy food options. You can also support employees’ home office setups with guidance on integrating those same inputs.
#13: Burnout is primarily due to structural factors, not personal factors.
Outside of critical care or first responder jobs where human trauma takes a toll, employee burnout can be directly attributed to poor planning and management. Crappy meeting discipline, unclear purpose, conflicting demands, lack of perceived support or value from direct managers and leaders, poorly communicated strategy and lack of a coherent strategy are all key factors in burnout.
#14: Strategic Communications Matter
Recognize the segments of your people. As we measure interest, participation and engagement in programs, a trend has appeared. Roughly 25% of your population just…won’t…participate…no…matter…what. The reasons given are varied, but they’re nearly impossible to engage. At the other end of the spectrum are the 10-12% who are committed and ready to go. The 60+% in between are where programs should focus. About half of that remaining crew (around 30%) just need multiple messages and entry points into the program. The other half need to see a critical mass of peers and leaders participating before considering action. Segment your communications plan accordingly.