Meaningful corporate wellness programs: personalization is key.

To create meaningful corporate wellness programs that meet the needs of all employees, the level of personalization must go deeper than the consumer experience like recommendations on Netflix. These programs must consider the deeper context of an individual’s life and relationship to work, in addition to formal social determinants of health (SDOH) factors. Without this comprehensive approach, personalization becomes just another buzzword and fails to make an impact.

The Promise and Pitfalls of Personalization

In most industries, personalization involves a simple data-in, personalization-out model that analyzes behavior to deliver targeted recommendations.

Personalization in health must be rooted in a deep understanding of the individual’s whole health experience, including the social, environmental, and contextual factors that impact their experience with a wellness program.

Consider how a CFO and frontline worker may benefit from wellness programs, but their needs and challenges are different. There’s also a contrast between an employee who trains for marathons and another employee with the same title and salary who doesn’t. A one-size-fits-all approach to personalization can’t succeed in such a diverse environment. Employers must ensure that their wellness programs are equitable and accessible to all employees.

Personalization in Action

Employers must go beyond diversity when designing personalized wellness programs and consider an employee’s context. Two examples are communication preferences and access. 

Not all employees have frequent access to email. Communication preferences have a deep impact on how an employee engages with the wellness program. Perhaps an employee prefers SMS communication because their smartphone doesn’t have a robust data package. In these situations, web browser-based technology meets their needs because it can be accessed across all devices. 

True personalization lies in the understanding that a person is made up of more than their illnesses. Whole health matters — mental well-being, physical health, spiritual health, financial health, self-care, and community connectedness, among others. Platforms that provide contextualized content on topics such as tobacco cessation, workplace anxiety, and women’s health in one place, better meet the needs of the whole individual vs. a single health concern.

Employers need to meet their employees where they are and understand the ‘why’ behind these preferences. These small adjustments are major stepping stones to building employee trust.

What About AI? 

AI can help scale personalized experiences, but there are limitations to what it can achieve.

Health improvement is more complex than consumer interactions. Building effective models requires sifting through vast amounts of data, including claims, wearable inputs, and user-reported information. Getting personalization right lies in the balance between personalization bordering on invasiveness and receiving advice that is relevant to an individual. Without the human touch, it’s a short slope to becoming creepy. 

Employees need the option to connect with a real person, ask questions, seek clarification, or express concerns to build trust and provide value. 

Measuring Success: ROI and VOI

The success of your wellness program and its personalization can be measured along a continuum of Return on Investment (ROI) and Value on Investment (VOI).

Traditional ROI measures include cost savings from reduced healthcare claims and a reduction in individual health risk profiles. These metrics are important but don’t capture the full value of a well-designed wellness program. VOI encompasses a broader range of benefits, including improvements in productivity, employee retention, and talent attraction. It also considers how wellness programs complement broader workforce culture initiatives and contribute to the perceived value of the overall benefits ecosystem.

Employers must find the right balance between ROI and VOI when evaluating their wellness programs. Early indicators of success include high engagement rates across the entire employee population, but it’s important to recognize the nuance in what engagement means in this context.

A Balance of Technology and Humanity

Personalization in health and well-being must be rooted in a deep understanding of the individual’s whole health experience and must be delivered equitably across a diverse workforce. By striking a balance between the power of AI with the irreplaceable value of the human touch, employers can create personalized wellness programs that  meet the needs of their employees and foster a healthier, more engaged workforce.