Employer wellness programs exist for two key reasons: 1) to save on a company's health care costs; and 2) to help keep employees healthier and more productive. Despite their existence since the early 1970s, the truth is that wellness programs, in general, have been ineffective at demonstrating a clear return-on-investment (ROI) for employers. At the same time however, scientific research indicates employers should see a return of $1.50 to $2.00 from each dollar spent on wellness programs. The disconnect between studies and reality stems from the fact that there is no simple way for an organization to realize the same results. Instead, to be successful, an employer must implement wellness programs by first developing a concrete strategy to drive and track employee engagement.

We are not suggesting your clients focus solely on the number of individuals who have signed up for a wellness program or are accessing its services. Rather, these employers should utilize data and analytics to optimize their wellness efforts and create more targeted, meaningful and personalized programs for their employees.