Implementing a workplace wellness program is an important step in creating a healthy environment for employees and building a sustainable business strategy, but every organization has unique needs. Some enterprise-level organizations have individuals or teams dedicated to wellness, while mid-sized businesses rely on their HR departments to absorb the responsibility.

Investing time to make decisions, strategize, and launch corporate wellness programs is just the beginning. Ongoing coordination and employee engagement is imperative for a successful, sustainable program. This article discusses how to proceed with coordinating a wellness program internally vs. hiring a wellness coordinator.

Comparing In-House Management & Outsourced Certified Wellness Program Coordinators

In this post:

1. Coordinating a Wellness Program Internally

a. Advantages

a. Disadvantages

2. Hiring a Corporate Wellness Coordinator

3. Decision-Making Factors

4. Strive Wellness Programs & Wellness Coordinators

Coordinating a Wellness Program Internally

Just because an organization has the internal resources to coordinate a wellness program, doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best way those resources can be allocated. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing your wellness team to administer a corporate wellness program.

Advantages

Internal wellness teams have an innate understanding of organizational culture, employee needs, and company goals. This intimate knowledge allows for tailoring strategies and initiatives that resonate with employees, ensuring that the wellness program is both relevant and engaging.

Additionally, fostering a supportive environment for employee well-being can be seamless when operations are managed by familiar faces, thereby promoting camaraderie, mutual motivation, and a cohesive workforce committed to a common goal.

Disadvantages

One key concern in utilizing internal employee wellness coordinators is the limited perspective and expertise when relying solely on internal resources, as it can hinder implementing up-to-date, evidence-based approaches vital to addressing the diverse health needs of employees. Internal staff must adhere to employee privacy restrictions that impact access they need to important information, such as prevalent medical conditions within the population.

Additionally, the potential absence of a systematic framework and professional support from external sources might impede continuous improvement, rigorous evaluation, and engagement strategies, all essential to ensuring long-term program success and employee well-being.

At first glance it can appear more cost-effective to leverage internal resources. In reality, contracted corporate wellness coordinators do not require the costly benefits associated with internal, full-time employees.

Hiring a Corporate Wellness Coordinator

Worksite wellness coordinators are typically outsourced as the pros far outweigh any cons. Let’s take a look at why so many organizations hire a wellness coordinator at some point to support their wellness initiatives.

Because a corporate wellness coordinator is a specialty, cross-functional position, hiring one also means hiring myriad resources and support. They, too, have a team of experienced wellness professionals as well as time-tested systems and processes for turnkey implementation and easy ongoing engagement. Contracted wellness coordinators have various forms of expertise, from coordination and programming to health coaching.

Outsourced wellness coordinators have industry-specific knowledge on the latest trends and evidence-based strategies to design and implement a highly effective wellness program tailored to the unique needs of the organization. This not only reduces the learning curve for in-house teams but also maximizes ROI and the likelihood of success in achieving the desired health outcomes for employees.

Contracted wellness professionals can also provide comprehensive program evaluation and reporting, enabling businesses to identify areas of improvement, track progress, and demonstrate positive impacts on employee engagement and overall company performance.

By outsourcing wellness coordination, companies can free up valuable time and resources for their HR and wellness teams to focus on core functions, strategize for bigger picture initiatives, and drive growth.
Finally, hiring a corporate wellness coordinator is an externalized cost, requires more accountability from the contractor, and mitigates all liability for the client.

Decision-Making Factors

There are several decision-making factors to examine when considering how to implement your organization’s wellness program.

Company size and available resources greatly influence program design and implementation; larger organizations may have more options at their disposal, while smaller or mid-sized organizations need to tailor their offerings to limited resources.

Budget and financial constraints undoubtedly play a significant role in determining the scope of your wellness program; careful planning and resource allocation are necessary to create an affordable, yet effective solution.

Consider employee interest and engagement, as wellness programs only thrive if employees are genuinely interested in participating. Conduct staff surveys or focus groups to gain valuable insight into desired initiatives.

Consider the composition of your workforce:

• Onsite, hybrid, or remote
• Geographically dispersed
• Range of demographics
• Onsite wellness amenities

Understanding these factors allows you to design a customized wellness program that caters to diverse employee needs and effectively utilizes existing organizational resources to foster a healthy and productive workplace culture.

Strive Wellness Programs

Strive’s wraparound delivery model is designed to make it easy for all involved. Every client is assigned a program manager for communication support, data reporting, and programmatic recommendations. Our complimentary employee needs and interests survey guides the framework of the wellness program and our expertise in ongoing engagement strategy supports sustainability.

Wellness Coordinators

For additional coordination support, Strive offers onsite and virtual wellness coordinators. Our team can aid in assessing the needs of the organization to determine whether a part-time or full-time position is necessary and whether it needs to be an onsite or virtual role.

Strive wellness coordinators are ideal for groups that want a professional who is passionate about wellness to improve program efficiency, handle administrative tasks like administering surveys and marketing communications, and interface with vendors/instructors/specialists while you’re confident the program is in good hands.

Book a discovery call to explore how to best complement your internal resources with a specialized expert.