Workplace benefits continue to evolve to meet the changing dynamics that every generation brings to their organizations. Today, that means closely considering the lifestyles of millenials, who currently make up 36 percent of the U.S. workforce. The reason they need close consideration is because currently they are the least engaged group and by 2020 they will make up nearly half of all workers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
As employers ponder ways to engage millennials, they are finding that their interests go well beyond just health and fitness. Therefore, companies need to carefully consider wellness offerings for this generation, including some tailor-made innovations for this group of workers.
A Benefits magazine article titled, Engage Millennials In Workplace Wellness provides several key best practices that organizations can follow to create impactful wellness initiatives that will engage millennials and organically produce behavior change. So what do organizations need to do?
Develop Social Strategies
Make it social and make it a game. At least 75% of millennials have at least one social media profile. They have Facebook friends and like to connect with others. So create some peer-to-peer and team-based challenges that include online communication and the more ways you can use gamification the better.
Use Financial Incentives
For millennials the key to rewards is thinking about them in terms of how appealing they are. Social incentives like, sponsoring a workplace team or sport, developing a friendly competition and recognizing publically their accomplishments will be powerful tools for sustaining engagement.
Provide Mobile Access
This group of employees are very comfortable with technology so use texting, the Internet and social media to make your wellness initiatives quickly accessible.
Make It Part of Corporate Culture
Millennials at organizations with a strong culture of health are more likely to take action about their own health and rate their overall work performance very positively.
Take a Holistic Approach
Try to consider as many aspects of health and wellness as possible such as, having energy, being happy, leading a balanced life and maintaining a spiritual balance as these are all aspects of personal well-being millennials find important.
And they’re ready for the program today. This generation is setting their own norms for what wellness means and the quicker it can be incorporated into a workplace program the more successful organizations may be at actually having a healthy workforce and the ability to retain talent.
