Last year, many of our brokers, consultants, and health plan partners found themselves running into the same challenge. When they introduced the idea of a workplace wellness benefit to employer clients who had never offered one before, they were often met with the same response:
“We’re just not ready for that.”
In most cases, that hesitation wasn’t about a lack of interest in supporting employee wellness. In fact, most of these organizations were already sold on the business value of investing in employee well-being (think, improved job satisfaction, a more positive corporate culture, and increased work productivity).
What they were really saying was something else: they didn’t feel equipped to make an informed decision. For employers who are new to corporate wellness programs, the barrier isn’t willingness, it’s uncertainty. And when advisors can help address that uncertainty, those same employers are often much more open to moving forward.
Objection #1: “We don’t know enough about wellness to choose the right program.”
Employers who are new to corporate wellness programs often feel like they lack the expertise to choose the right vendor and solution. They may worry about overspending, choosing something that doesn’t fit their workforce, or investing in a program that employees won’t actually use.
In reality, organizations don’t need to become wellness experts to offer meaningful workplace health and wellness support. What they need is a vendor that provides guidance along the way and makes it easy to get started without overcommitting time or money.
What to look for
Employers and their advisors should look for a wellness platform that makes selecting and implementing a program straightforward from day one. The right solution should offer turnkey, ready-to-launch options while still allowing for flexibility so the program can feel relevant to their specific workforce. That’s what will drive participation.
It’s also important to look closely at how programs are structured and priced. Many traditional wellness solutions require annual contracts, per-employee-per-month (PEPM) pricing, and auto-renewals. For organizations that are new to wellness, that kind of long-term, variable commitment can make it harder to get started.
Instead, employers should prioritize options that allow them to start with a clear, predictable investment and a level of commitment that matches their comfort level. It’s important to be able to test and learn what resonates with employees before increasing investment.
Objection #2: “A single wellness solution will never work for all of our employees.”
Workforces have evolved significantly in recent years. Today, a single employee population might include desk and non-desk workers, remote and onsite teams, and a wide range of age groups, interests, and wellness needs.
Because of this, many employers worry that a single corporate wellness program won’t resonate across their entire workforce. That concern is valid, but the most effective corporate wellness solutions have evolved to meet the needs of the modern workforce.
What to look for
Employers and their advisors should look for a vendor that is intentionally built to serve broad employee populations, not just traditional office-based roles or employees who are already active.
One indicator is the types of organizations the vendor already supports. A platform that works across industries like manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and healthcare is more likely to translate across different workforce types than one designed primarily for corporate office settings.
It’s also important to look at how the program defines wellness. Given the high cost of healthcare, wellness has an important role to play in preventative care. Solutions that go beyond physical activity to incorporate stress management, as well as building healthy lifestyles around sleep, nutrition, and mental health support preventative care efforts. They are also more likely to engage a wider range of employees.
Finally, the ability to access the platform matters. Even if it includes an app or wearable integrations, there should be ways for employees to participate without relying on technology, ensuring that lower-tech or non-desk workers aren’t excluded.
Objection #3: “We don’t have the time and staff to manage a wellness program.”
For many organizations, limited HR bandwidth is the biggest barrier to launching a wellness program. These teams are already balancing multiple competing priorities and increasingly being asked to do more with less, so the idea of adding something new can feel unrealistic.
There’s also a concern, sometimes based on past experience, that once a vendor makes the sale, the employer (along with their advisor) will be left to manage the program on their own. For organizations that are new to wellness, that level of ownership can feel especially daunting.
What to look for
The right vendor should reduce administrative burden, not add to it. Employers and their advisors should look for a partner that provides hands-on support throughout the entire process, from initial planning through implementation, launch, and ongoing program management.
That support should include clear communication, defined next steps, and regular check-ins to ensure the program is running smoothly. It should also include visibility into what’s working, through participation and engagement reporting, along with guidance on how to adjust the program if it’s not resonating with employees.
Strong partners also make it possible to get started quickly. Employers should expect a straightforward implementation process that allows them to launch in a matter of weeks or even days without requiring heavy involvement from HR or IT.
Helping your “new to wellness” employers move forward
The criteria outlined in this blog aren’t theoretical. They reflect what employers consistently need to feel confident in taking the first step toward bringing on a corporate wellness program.
SoHookd was designed to meet these exact needs. Our flexible, streamlined approach works across many different types of workforces and is paired with the proactive, hands-on support that employers (and their advisors) are looking for.
With our platform, wellness programming stops feeling like a heavy lift and starts to feel like a practical, achievable next step.
