What is the HR Scoop?

Hosted by me, WebMD Health Services’ Head of People, the HR Scoop podcast explores the evolving world of employee benefits and the challenges of managing unique employee populations. In each episode, I sit down with other HR Leaders who share their best HR and employee well-being insights, tips, and strategies you can use in your own work.

You’ll want to add these Season 6 episodes to your playlist:

Jason Lauritsen, Well-Being Expert | The Power of In-Person Interaction

I talked with Jason Lauritsen, an author and leadership trainer, about improving workplace relationships. Jason highlights the importance of in-person interactions for building trust and collaboration. Jason also stresses the need for clear expectations in virtual meetings and, as technology evolves, he shares his beliefs on maintaining human connection and how crucial it is for organizational success and societal well-being.

Dr. Andy Garrett from AG Thrive Psychological Consultation | The Power of True North and Resilience in Employee Leadership

Dr. Andy Garrett is a former private psychology clinician who now works in the business world. Dr. Garrett and I discussed his journey, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, resilience, and core values in leadership and organizational success. Dr. Garrett shares insights on how aligning personal and organizational values can lead to better outcomes and more fulfilling work environments. We dive into the significance of agility in navigating modern challenges and how he encourages businesses to find their “true north” for sustained success.

Dr. John Whyte from WebMD | Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Employee Health Care

In this episode, learn from Dr. John Whyte, WebMD’s Chief Medical Officer, about the role of AI in employee health. Dr. Whyte highlights the benefits of personalized health data from wearables and “nearables” for continuous monitoring and better health outcomes. We discuss top-of-mind privacy concerns and the potential of augmented intelligence in healthcare.

Cindy Bjorkquist from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Michigan | From Contagion Effect to Mindfulness

For this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cindy Bjorkquist, Director of Well-Being for BCBS of Michigan, about the Blue Cross Virtual Wellbeing program. Cindy explains how the program is uniquely accessible to everyone and talks about its commitment to offering engaging weekly shows on various health topics. She discusses its mission to improve community health, the importance of authentic content, and the global reach they’ve achieved. Cindy also highlights the significance of mental health and work-life balance, emphasizing her commitment to supporting others through these well-being initiatives.

Sara King from CEO IQ | Adapting to Change and HR Strategies for Growth

Sara King is an HR consultant and we chatted about the growing trend of fractional CHROs and HR consultants in the workplace. Sara shares her extensive background, including a 21-year tenure at VIPS, where she built the HR department and navigated multiple acquisitions. Sara also discusses a successful virtual article club she started during the pandemic and the importance of adopting AI in HR. She emphasizes building strong relationships with CEOs to secure a strategic HR role. 

Bridget Hallman from Paychex: The Five Pillars of Employee Well-Being

Queue up this interview with Bridget Hallman from Paychex. Bridget shares her journey in the health and wellness arena and her role leading employee well-being strategy at Paychex. She discusses the adoption of Gallup’s five elements of well-being at Paychex and highlights the importance of leadership support, practical implementation strategies, and the impact of well-being programs on both employees’ lives and company success. 

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Delivering timely insights about the world of HR you can use right away, the HR Scoop podcast is the perfect accompaniment to your next walk or drive. Subscribe to the HR Scoop —and tell your friends and co-workers about it, too!

Employee engagement is declining…and it seems DEI&B may be part of the problem.

Gallup reports that after trending up in recent years, employee engagement in the U.S. has declined from 36% of engaged employees in 2020, to 32% in 2022. The study notes that “feeling cared about at work” and “connected to an employer’s mission” were among the engagement elements that declined the most, particularly for women and younger workers.¹

This is consistent with recent research we conducted that found:

• Nearly three-quarters of employees want to work for organizations who place a high value on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B);
• 62% percent of respondents did not believe their company is currently doing what it needs to do to be truly committed to creating this type of workplace;
• 54% would be likely to leave their company if given a competitive offer; and
• 57% of employees said their companies fell short in making sure they felt included and valued.

A commitment to DEI&B ranks high in whether employees choose to stay with an organization.

Several recent studies suggest that a lack of inclusivity in the workplace may have an effect on turnover. A 2022 EY US Generation Survey found that 76% of millennials would leave an employer who did not offer DE&I initiatives. The same survey found nearly three in 10 millennials are planning to leave their company within a year because it doesn’t match their values.² And, research done by QuestionPro and EQ Community, found nearly 40% of employees said they would switch jobs to be part of a more inclusive culture.³

So while there are certainly many factors that influence employees’ decisions to remain with a current employer or seek employment elsewhere, the extent to which an employer truly walks the talk of DEI&B is playing a role.

So, what can employers do to create a more inclusive culture?

For starters, DEI&B policies that mainly focus on diverse and equitable hiring policies are missing the mark. Today it’s clear that DEI&B is more than just hiring from a diverse candidate pool, it’s about fostering an environment that integrates DEI&B into the everyday experience and considers how employee well-being is impacted by an inclusive environment. As we work with clients who have healthy DEI&B programs in place, we’ve noticed that these elements can make a difference:

Robust employee networks and champions to nurture DEI&B efforts.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are a great way to weave DEI&B into the fabric of the organization. They give employees a forum for sharing their unique interests, skills, talents and diverse perspectives and increase feelings of belonging. ERGs can also help leaders better understand what employees need to be able to bring their full selves to work every day and perform at their best. One of our clients sponsors “diversity champions” who receive rigorous training and agree to serve as a DEI&B ambassador for two years.

A variety of ways to become more informed about DEI&B.

Organizations who recognize that everyone is on their own personal journey when it comes to DEI&B and provide opportunities to learn and grow at different paces and in different ways do best. Some clients create hubs of information employees can access; others offer coursework, training, and even certifications; while some offer speakers and leverage testimonials from actual employees to broaden perspectives.

Inclusive well-being benefits.

Companies with a true commitment to DEI&B actively seek out ways to make their health and well-being benefits more inclusive. Culturally sensitive mental health support, benefits coverage and fertility support for same-and opposite-gender partners, floating holidays that allow employees to celebrate what’s important to them, and even financial wellness benefits can help to meet the needs of a diverse workforce.

Strong onboarding experience.

Companies spend so much time and money on talent acquisition, but the same effort needs to be applied to onboarding so that a new employee can feel engaged and included in the organization from day one. Assigning a buddy or mentor right away and planning structured activities during their first week, including meetups with senior leaders, is crucial. Education about the corporate mission and how their work fits into it is essential to creating a sense of purpose. Regular check-ins for at least the first 90 days are also recommended.

Special support for managers.

Sixty-six percent of respondents in our survey felt that managers and supervisors, rather than higher-level corporate leaders, bear responsibility for and should be held accountable for DEI&B. It makes sense, since managers are the face of the organization and have the most day-to-day contact with their people. It does mean, however, that managers need more support, education, and training to be able to deliver on the DEI&B goals that the organization sets.

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In the wake of a global pandemic and a general reevaluation of work and life, it’s understandable that employees are looking for employers to strengthen their efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. And it seems that employers who do focus on creating this type environment will reap the benefits of higher engagement and better attraction and retention of key talent.

It’s been over a month and we’re still basking in the proverbial glow of the Empower Forum, our recent Client Forum at the beautiful Skamania Lodge along the Columbia River to discuss all things well-being. Before the fireside chat session, we asked clients to send us their toughest well-being program questions. A great discussion ensued, and we’re pleased to share the highlights in this week’s blog.

You asked: What does a healthy workplace culture look like today?

A healthy workplace culture is so important right now. Recent studies show that nearly 50% of employees would leave their current jobs for a lower-paying opportunity at an organization with a better culture. If we had to name one aspect of workplace culture that is most important, it would have to be flexibility. No matter what your strategy is – return to the office, remain remote, or a hybrid model – letting employees have some say in how, when, and where they work is key to good workplace culture.

Social connections are also important – especially with a dispersed workforce. At WebMD Health Services we have team members working in almost all 50 states, so we try hard to create connections between them. A few things we’ve done are movie nights, virtual workouts with our own health coaches, at-home cooking and cocktail-making demos, March Madness basketball challenges, and National Pet Day virtual pet playdates. We are also hosting a virtual showing of Hocus Pocus 2 leading up to Halloween! At the beginning of the year we invested in a more formal peer-to-peer program that matches up individuals from different areas of the company every quarter to have structured conversations about topics ranging from finding inspiration at work to being a better manager. It’s been an amazing way for our team to meet others they might not normally cross paths with and build real connections.

Leadership also sets the tone for a healthy workplace culture. Leaders are increasingly being called upon to practice empathy and compassion and also to create a culture where people can be seen, heard, and valued for being their authentic selves. They also need to give employees “permission” to focus on their well-being – across multiple dimensions – and walk the talk themselves. Finally, people – especially younger generations – are craving more connection to the meaning of their work. Leaders can help here by reminding people of the company’s mission or purpose and connecting it back to the work people do.

You asked: Well-being programs have evolved quite a bit in the past few years. What new programs, strategies, philosophies, or investments characterize the “new” well-being program?

First, we’d have to say that most organizations now realize that helping employees with well-being is a “must-have” to retain and attract talent, versus a “nice-to-have.” Companies see well-being as an extension of their culture, not just something people do on their own time. Of course, mental health is a critical element of any well-being program, and we are helping clients offer their employees several diverse ways to access that help via chat apps, podcasts, resilience tools, etc.

We also see well-being programs become more personalized – for example, identifying what well-being means to everyone in their organization and tailoring programs to do just that. For example, some of our clients have customized wellness challenges to support what their population needs—be it self-care, social justice, community service, and more. Personalization in this new world also means unique goal-setting for individuals: for one person well-being means eating healthy, but for someone else it’s looking for more opportunities to connect with people after the isolation of COVID.

Well-being programs also have to be accessible to a dispersed workforce now. While in the past we relied on well-being champions in the building to drum up excitement for events, we have to rethink how to reach employees who work remotely. On the flip side, we are seeing renewed interest in having a “human element” as part of the well-being program – such as our onsite Dedicated Well-Being staff. As companies encourage workers to return to the office this human contact with a well-being professional is one way to entice them.

You asked: Point solutions seem to be everywhere these days. Why is a holistic well-being program better than a point solution or a combination of point solutions?

It’s true, every time you turn around there seems to be a new point solution. We get it – employers and health plans want to deliver a comprehensive, personalized, and holistic well-being program to employees and members. But, when there are too many apps to manage employees begin to experience “point solution fatigue.” People start to be overwhelmed by going to multiple places for well-being and some may just abandon them all.

From the organization’s standpoint, there are other risks:

• It can be hard to measure results from multiple standalone solutions;
• You have to juggle relationships with many different vendors, but each point solution only addresses one problem;
• Each solution feels transactional and siloed, versus outcomes-focused;
• There’s no or very little sharing of information, and you bear the burden of trying to bring all these disparate benefits and services together;
• There’s no consistent look and feel across all the solutions; and
• It’s expensive!

That said, we recognize that even a really holistic well-being platform can’t be comprehensive in everything. Financial wellness, caregiving for an aging parent, mental health practitioners – sometimes you do need to go external to get some of those important services to employees. For example, though we currently offer stress coaching specialists – and will soon have mental health coaching specialists –we also recognize that if someone needs very specific help or support, we have to refer them out to a service vendor our clients have (like an EAP) or another offering.

At the end of the day, our philosophy is this: we start with a comprehensive platform that focuses on assessing one’s health, lifestyle and condition management support, engagement, daily habits, challenges, community, and incentives. We then layer on vetted, curated vendors to support more in-depth areas: like help for musculoskeletal conditions and pain management through our partnership with Fern Health and caregiving with Torchlight. We also take care not to add multiple point solution vendors in one category because we vet and ensure we are offering the best. We think this is the best way to offer employees and members what they need while making the experience as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

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That’s a wrap! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the amazing discussions we had at the Empower Forum and look forward to seeing more of you at our next event. In the meantime, to learn how a well-being program can benefit your organization, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Launching a wellness incentives program requires the same kind of preparation. In case you haven’t prepared a list (and checked it twice), we’ve put a few together for you to help make sure you haven’t missed anything.

Based on our Incentives Best Practices Study of 52 employer clients, which tracked the rewards-related behaviors of over 2 million people, organizations with a simpler incentive program have coaching engagement rates 7% higher than those with complex programs.

Have you covered the basics?

• Does your organization have clear wellness objectives that your team understands and can get behind?
• Have you made sure that your incentives design directly supports your overall wellness objectives?
• Is your incentive program aligned with your benefits plan?
• Do you have strong management support for your wellness and incentives programs?
• Is your incentive program simple enough for your population to understand?
• Have you agreed on what requirements you’ll use, such as national or at-risk guidelines?
• Do you require a health assessment as a basis for your incentives program?
• Have you established how long people will have to earn the reward?
• Do you have a plan to handle exceptions, such as pregnancy?
• Are you confident that the overall participant experience is positive? Have you tried it?
• Do you have a plan for new employees, spouses, and family members to participate?
• Do you have an approved budget for your incentives program?
• Have you explored cost-neutral approaches (where premium reductions for participants are offset by additional premiums for non-participants)?
• Have you weighed the pros and cons of self-reported and imported data?
• Do you know what sources of imported data you’ll accept, including biometric screenings, home tests, or provider lab results?
• Have you decided how and when you’ll measure improvement towards your goals?
• Do you have baseline measurements that you can use to compare population health status, health risk levels, and healthcare costs before and after you start your incentives program.
• Have you made sure your incentives plan is compliant with ACA regulations?

Is your population ready for wellness incentives?

• Have the people in your population accepted your wellness programs so far?
• Have they shown that they’re willing to change their health behaviors?
• Have incentives been successful in other corporate initiatives?
• Have you tested your program design with people outside your wellness team to get their response? (Focus groups are a great tool!)
• Have you talked to your wellness program vendor for examples of similar designs and the experience of other clients like you?
• Have you made sure your incentives are fair, and aren’t heavily weighted towards people who are already healthy?
• Are you confident that your requirements aren’t so challenging that people might decide it’s not even worth trying?

Are you ready to communicate your plan?

• Have you developed your communications strategy, with a full-year plan laid out?
• Is your program simple to communicate?
• Do you have wellness communications programs in place that you can use to explain your incentives plan to your population?

Frequent Communication Improves Participation Rates [1. WebMD’s 2013 Incentives Best Practices Study]

• Are your calls to action clear and simple so people know what they’re supposed to do next?
• Do you have multiple communication modalities and messages so you reach everyone?
• Can you target messages to specific segments of your population, such as those who haven’t completed their health assessment yet, or those with certain health conditions or risks?
• Have you thought about how you’re going to communicate to everyone, in different locations and job functions?
• Does you plan include language as required under the new ACA regulations for reasonable alternatives?

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Wellness Incentives Workbook

Still have questions? Download our Wellness Incentives Workbook, a hands-on, checklist-based guide to wellness incentives best practices.

Download

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Promising to make a significant lifestyle change in the upcoming year is a time-honored tradition, otherwise known as a New Year’s resolution. I will go to the gym and I will stick to my diet—no excuses,” someone may say. For most people, however, that promise may not last long. It’s often not a matter of whether they decide to act on their resolution so much as it is for how long they can maintain it. This is where health coaches can make all the difference.

As a health coach, I can help my clients implement small changes to their resolutions to increase their chances for success. The following are some strategies I talk to my clients about to help make their resolutions stick, no matter when they make them.

Set SMART health goals

A health coach can help people think through their goals prior to implementing them. Especially, I can help them be specific in what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. For example, if they want to exercise more, I can help them set a goal to walk three times per week for thirty minutes, and check in with them on their progress over a set timeline. Compare the following goals and see which one seems better to you:

“Exercise more” versus “Between January 1^st and January 31^st, walk three times per week for thirty minutes per session to promote weight loss.”

Slow and gradual progression

Most people overwhelm themselves by trying to do too much too soon. It can be hard to sustain a drastic change, and it can often lead to burnout. Slow and gradual progression can be better tolerated and can allow them time to acclimate and adjust to their resolution. A health coach can ask clients, “Are you being realistic with your goals?” We can help them think through what else is going on in their lives, how to keep their new resolution manageable, and how to set short term goals to help them reach long-term goals of six months or more.

Prepare for barriers

It’s important to plan and prepare for potential barriers or obstacles ahead of time. In conversations with clients, a health coach can ask about things like upcoming vacation plans or travel that could take clients off their normal routine. Are they expecting work to get busy? How will they handle family obligations that come up? People can’t plan for everything, but a health coach can help them develop strategies ahead of time that address foreseeable barriers to minimize their effect on a new lifestyle change.

Lapses and setbacks

In spite of their best planning, people may still stumble and fail to follow through with their goals on occasion. It happens, and it happens to almost everyone. Health coaches help clients understand that setbacks are a natural part of any lifestyle change. The question is whether they’re able to pick themselves back up and rededicate themselves back towards their goals. A health coach offers perspective, and can help make sure that failure doesn’t get the best of their clients.

Following through with resolutions to improve lifestyle and behaviors can be a difficult accomplishment, but it’s certainly a very worthwhile pursuit. With the help of a health coach, with careful planning, and with strong determination, however, this can be your population’s year to succeed.

Health communicators have so many messaging resources available that it’s easy to get caught up in the possibilities. Who wouldn’t want to encourage people to stop smoking, eat more nutritiously, get more exercise, check their blood pressure, be tested for diabetes – and more? But what if your main health and wellness objective is for X percent of your population to complete your health risk assessment? Or for Y percent of individuals with a specific health risk to sign up with a health coach?

Those other health messages sound good, but they aren’t bringing you any closer to your goal. In fact, if they confuse or overwhelm your audience, they may actually work against you. You need to develop communications objectives that match your health and wellness program objectives.

Work backwards to establish effective wellness communication objectives.

To set effective communications objectives, start with the behavior changes you want to see and work backwards. Decide:

• What will make people want to make those changes
• How you can influence change through communications

Your health communications objectives should:

1. Relate to an important program objective that is appropriately addressed by communications.
   Be realistic: some program objectives may be outside your scope of influence. Focus specifically on program objectives that lend themselves to communications, and make sure senior management understands your decision.
2. Describe an outcome that is realistic for communication, and for which you will be held accountable.
   Outcomes must be reasonable for you to affect through the communications channels available to you. They must also be outcomes over which you have some control and that you will be evaluated on. Otherwise, they’re not where your efforts should go.
3. Describe a change, using words like increase or decrease, rather than an action step.
   Remember, your communications objectives should relate directly to program objectives, not things you plan to do. Distributing newsletters and posting information are communications tactics, not objectives. They don’t describe a change in your target audience.
4. Identify a specific audience (target group).
   You may have to break out specific objectives by audience. For instance, your communications objectives around your health risk assessment (HRA) may be different for new employees or plan members than for those who have previously completed an HRA but haven’t updated it recently.
5. Represent a significant change, worthy of being an objective.
   A test for “worthiness” may be to consider what communications tactics would be required to meet the objective. Significant change typically requires a selection of communications strategies and channels, executed with careful sequencing. An objective that can be accomplished with one message may not be worthwhile on its own. Consider if it’s part of a larger goal that more closely matches a program objective.
6. Be SMART.
   Test that your objectives are:
   • Specific – can you state succinctly what they accomplish?
   • Measurable – if you can’t measure it, you’ll never know if you succeeded
   • Attainable – don’t set impossible goals – aim for steady progress over time
   • Realistic – focus on what you can actually affect
   • Time-limited – give yourself enough time to affect change, but establish an end date for re-evaluation