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Strategies forCreating Fun, Effective,

& EngagingEmployee Communications

Jen Cronin, Managing Editor

4 Common Challenges in

PromotingHealth at the Workplace

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1. Budget

2. Time & resources

3. Lack of participation and engagement

4. Under utilization

6 Costly Practices of Traditional Wellness Programs

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1. HRAs

2. Biometric screenings

3. Extrinsic incentives

4. Wellness portals

5. Coaching

6. Wellness vendor fees

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• Overcomes these obstacles

• Changes your perspective

A BetterWay

Embrace aCommunications-First

Philosophy

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Prepare toHave Fun!

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Talk & work WITH employees

not

AT employees

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Regular, positive communication with employees sends the message that you value employees as whole people.

The Principles

areSimple

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Strengthens the employee-employer relationship.

The Principles

areSimple

Everyone wins – employees, employer, customers, clients, and/or patients

The Principles

areSimple

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The BenefitsAre Many

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Engages and excites employees

The BenefitsAre Many

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Helps employees appreciate and understand the benefits you offer

Provides a way to update employees about company news and events

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The BenefitsAre Many

The BenefitsAre Many

Fosters trust and openness

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• Develop a communication strategy

• Evaluate resources

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Where to Begin

Develop a Strategy

Look at wants and needs from the employees’ perspective – not management’s.

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EvaluateResources

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• Cost

• Time

• Employee commitment

Set a Budget

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• Writing

• Editing

• Design

• Implementation• Print – printing & mailing• Digital – web hosting fees &

software costs (including subscriptions to cloud-based services)

Time

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Keep in mind the amount of lead time required for consistent, polished communications.

EmployeeCommitment

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• Determine the number of people who will need to be involved.

• Break down the project into components.

• Figure out manageable time periods for each task

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5-Person Employee Communication TeamMonthly 8-Page Newsletter

 Action No. of Team Members Time

Planning of content 5 1-2 hours

Research 2 4-6 hours

Writing & editing of content 2 8-10 hours

Medical review by experts 1 3-5 days

Layout & design of content 1-2 6-8 hours

Proofreading & link checking 1-2 8-10 hours

Project Manager 1 20-25 hours

Distribution 1 2 hours

Wrap up and review of employee feedback 5 1-2 hours

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Employee Communications…To Outsource or Do Insource?

Here’s how to decide. 

Outsource In-HouseYou have limited staff time available to dedicate to communications.  

You need ready-to-use content that has been vetted, written for a consumer audience, and medically-reviewed.

 

You want the confidence of knowing the communications you send are done by an organization specializing in employee concerns and issues.

 

You want a professional team of writers and editors to conduct interviews, use credible sources for research, write, and edit your content.

 

You want a multi-media approach (newsletters, posters, brochures, blogs, videos, and/or social media, etc.), but lack the skills to deliver.

 

You seek the confidence of having seasoned professionals handle all of the details for you.

 

You have an in-house design and communications team that can assist with your communications.

 

You have writing and editing experience, and feel comfortable in this role.

 

You have access to a medical review team to review all medical information.

 

You have a dedicated project manager or team to handle the day-to-day duties and distribution of the content.

 

You know exactly what you want and have a strategy. You have a generous budget for producing your communications.  

You have a seamless distribution system in place at your company.  

• Know your audience

• Create schedule

• Plan content

• Determine formats

• Repurpose content

• Create an editorial calendar

• Craft content

• Design

• Distribute

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The Nitty Gritty of

Content Creation

Know Your

Audience

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Address employees as whole people

Know Your

AudienceCreate content in partnership with employees

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Know Your

Audience Offer relevancy & respect

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Customize content for your culture

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Know Your

Audience

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• Physical wellbeing

• Emotional/mental wellbeing

• Financial wellbeing

• Community wellbeing

• Career wellbeing

Address EmployeesAs Whole

People

Create Content in Partnership

withEmployees

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• Feature employee success.

• Hold mini-focus groups.

• Use employees as topic experts.

• Ask for feedback.

Offer Relevancy

andRespect

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• Ask, “Why would an employee want to read/view this?

• Offer short articles, tips, and information with links to addition content online.

• Remember that people are motivated in different ways.

Customize Content For YourCulture

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• Free, generic content is not specific to your organization.

• Employees are not part of creating it.

• It lacks company branding.

• It may not be accurate.

Create an EditorialCalendar

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Determine how often you want to communicate with employees.

Create an EditorialCalendar

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Keep in mind that you need to include scheduling for communications in different formats & distribution.

ContentPlanning

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• Think seasonally and seasons of life.

• Consider company events and important deadlines.

• Plan for the unforeseen.

Determine Relevant Media

for Your Audience

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• Newsletters

• Posters

• Email & Texts

• Blogs

• Social Media

• Videos

YourNewsletter

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• Ownership

• Familiarity, brevity & focus

• Relevancy & ease-of-use

• Regularity

• Inexpensive

• Multi-media friendly

• Production

• Customization

RepurposeContent

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• Allows you to get out messages several times in different ways.

• Use newsletter content throughout the month on posters and social media, and in emails & texts.

www.HopeHealth.com

Employee-VolunteerPowered

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• Ask employees for help.

• Provide a forum, structure, tools, and working philosophy that makes participation natural, time commitment minimal, and experience rewarding.

6 Ways to Unlock the

Talent & Energy of Employees

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1. Sell the purpose

2. Provide structure & autonomy

3. Empower

4. Mastery

5. Social connections

6. Celebrate & acknowledge

Wellness & Wellbeing Programs

Need Not Be Expensive

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• Focus on social engagement – relationships, events achievement, & support

• Access free resources – at work, in the community, at the state level, and from the federal government & national organizations

Evaluate Efforts Using

“ROAR”*

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• Return

• On

• Allocated

• Resources

*Michael O’Donnell, president and editor in chief, American Journal of Health Promotion

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• Feeling great

• Helping other people feel great

• Utilization of assets

• Participation

*Michael O’Donnell, president and editor in chief, American Journal of Health Promotion

Evaluate Efforts Using

“ROAR”*

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• Figure out how much you could save

• Form a small group

• Recruit employee volunteers

• Use an editorial calendar

• Evaluate available resources

• Evaluate media

• Use ROAR

Action Steps

to Consider

2 FREEeBooks:

Download at

HopeHealth/Reports

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ContactInformation

• Jen Cronin, Managing Editor

• jcronin@HopeHealth.com

• 616.610.2546

• HopeHealth.com

• blog.HopeHealth.com

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