To succeed in encouraging exercise during the workday, you have to find out what employees need and want. They are the people whose behaviour you’re attempting to influence, so it’s critical to understand their needs and gain their support.
The Employee Interest Survey
Ask workers questions that allow you to assess such key characteristics as age, gender, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical activity participation.
It’s important to know this information so that your exercise initiative meets employees’ needs. Staff Members aren’t going to participate in something they are not interested in.
Ask workers what they want, and then implement changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. for example, workers might not want to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work.
Ask workers what the organization could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. When there’s a common trend throughout your organization, a single change could affect a lot of individuals .
For example, suppose a big group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You may give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bicycle storage may be important as well.
When you’re launching a program that requires going outside, begin in the spring. By the time winter comes around, participation is already a habit.
Involving staff members is key to increasing exercise participation rates. People are more willing to participate in and support exercise programs when they’re involved in decision making.
The following tips will help you produce your own worker interest survey –
• Keep it short (no longer than 10 minutes to complete).
• Let employees know why you’re doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which could be long and difficult to analyze, ask people to select from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Don’t request information that may identify a person.
• When you are including a list of potential programs or environmental changes, be certain your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.
Corporate Wellness Companies