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How to motivate your employees who haven’t joined your vitality initiative yet 🔍
Your vitality initiative has begun! After putting a lot of time and effort into setting up a great vitality initiative, you already see a number of employees enthusiastically participating during the first week. Of course, there are always employees who still need to get used to your initiative or happen to have missed your messages. Naturally, you would still like to reach these employees during the initiative. You want to enthuse and motivate them to participate anyway, even at a later stage. But how do you go about this?
Time to read: 5 minutes
Why Aren’t Employees Joining In? 🤔
You have just launched your vitality initiative and have already received many great responses back! You've sent e-mails, maybe even put up posters, and said something about it in a meeting. Yet some of the employees don't seem to be fully aware of the initiative yet. You wonder: did they miss the announcement? Did I perhaps not send enough reminders yet? Or did I use the right platforms for my messages?
The truth is, there are many reasons why employees might not have joined. Sometimes it’s as simple as timing—they were on leave, missed the announcement, or are new to the company. Don’t assume one announcement is enough to get everyone on board. Employees are busy, distracted, and sometimes just need a few extra nudges to take action.
Think of your communication as a friendly tap on the shoulder, not a hard sell. Instead of a generic reminder like “Join the initiative!” try something more engaging: “Still undecided? This week’s yoga session is the perfect way to recharge and relax—no experience needed!”
Make your promotional material hard to miss and ensure the initiative is easy to join. Repeat the details weekly but mix up how you share them. Post in Slack, mention it during team meetings, or stick a playful reminder near the coffee machine. A simple comment like, “Grab your coffee and don’t forget to sign up for this week’s walking challenge!” can spark curiosity and encourage action.
Let Sporty Colleagues Lead the Way 💪
Some employees may not be joining because they don’t know where to start. It’s not that they’re not interested—they might just feel a bit unsure. Maybe they’re hesitant to join alone or worried they won’t keep up. As an HR manager, you’ve probably seen this before: employees holding back, wondering if the initiative is “for them.”
You don’t have to tackle this alone. Your sporty and active colleagues can help bridge the gap. Think of them as the coaches of your vitality initiative. They bring energy, accessibility, and a familiar face to the process. With their help, the initiative feels less like a daunting challenge and more like an inclusive, fun experience where everyone is welcome, no matter their fitness level.
Another way to boost participation is by encouraging active employees to form mini-groups or become wellness buddies. A colleague saying, “I’m joining the mindfulness break at 3 PM today, want to come along?” can completely change how the initiative is perceived. An invitation from a colleague feels personal, low-pressure, and approachable—never like an obligation.
You can also reach out to a few enthusiastic employees and let them know how inspiring their energy can be. A quick message like, “Hey [Name], your enthusiasm for [activity] is so inspiring! Would you be interested in organising an informal session or inviting a few colleagues to join? It could be something simple like a walk or a quick stretch session. I think your excitement could really encourage others to give it a go!” shows them it’s not extra work but an opportunity to share something they already enjoy.
Show them how it’s done 👟
Now that you have distributed all the posters and messages as many as 20 or 30 times, and you have asked all the sporty, enthusiastic contributors to motivate others, there is one more thing you can do to convince everyone to join: join in yourself! Participating in the initiative yourself is a great motivator for others!
It may sound hugely logical, yet we sometimes hear from clients that the organisers of an initiative do not participate themselves. Therefore, start with yourself. Show that you are equally enthusiastic about the initiative. Participate, for instance, in walks organised during the break. Share your own experiences in multiple posts during the initiative, such as: ‘It's great how a short walk clears my head before I meet again!’ This kind of open, relatable enthusiasm can inspire even the most reluctant employees to try it too.
In addition, encourage other team leaders to do the same. After all, a leader sets the culture and standards within a team. Therefore, ask them to also actively participate so that team members follow them. You can do this by telling them how great it would be if more colleagues joined the initiative. Make them aware that they are really seen as role models by their team members. Also ask them to share progress and forward your promotional material. For example, organise a ‘kick-off day’ with all team leaders and managers to motivate them already for the upcoming initiative and share your expectations about their participation.
Motivating employees to join a vitality initiative isn’t just about the launch—it’s about building engagement, leading by example, and creating moments of connection. By reinforcing your message, enlisting active colleagues, and involving leadership, you can turn hesitation into enthusiasm. Every small action you take inspires a bigger impact. What will you start with today?
