Providing some of the nation’s largest employers with effective and efficient health care solutions, Concentra has learned a lot about employee encouragement. For example, we know that employee health care is as important to the patient as it is to the employer. As companies find their bottom lines severely impacted by health care costs, improving the health of employees and reducing the rate of cost increase becomes increasingly important to remain competitive.

One question we hear a lot from our customers is about the use of incentives to drive employee engagement in specific health and wellness programs. In fact, some executives want to know just exactly how much they have to spend on incentives per employee to achieve a desired participation rate. Unfortunately, this answer is not easily answered as there are innumerable variables affecting employee engagement. What we look to achieve is a change in the culture of employees and the corporation, whereby the employees actively improve their current and future health while the company provides the supporting environment.

In examining employee behavior and participation, what we’ve found (and data in the marketplace would suggest) is that program-based incentives work best when they’re part of a broad engagement strategy, which includes an organization’s leaders. The programs that combine effective communication, consistent messaging, interaction, and support from leadership have shown the greatest participation levels and early adoption of company health and wellness programs.

In our experience, companies with executives that foster a strong culture of health and wellness generally require less financial incentives to motivate and influence employee behaviors and attitudes. We have seen several instances where programs with little or no incentives still resulted in strong participation rates, primarily because of the organization’s culture and support of health and wellness initiatives. Still, many executives are surprised to learn of the important role they play in a company’s health program, especially where a company has stopped short of modifying their health plan design as part of the engagement strategy.

In the case where an employer wants to use financial incentives to drive program employee participation, there’s no set standard for what the incentive should be or what works best. Some companies have spent over $500 per person, per year, on incentives to gain successful program participation. Still others have used gifts and accolades as a way of driving engagement among employees.

Above all else, what has proven successful in developing a health and wellness program is a company culture that supports a behavior change in its employees and this starts at the top. That kind of change comes easiest in an environment of active communication, leadership interaction, and clear messages. And a little extra incentive never hurt either.