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Motivate your fellow employees to sign up - how do you go about it? 🌞
Every HR manager probably knows it: you've come up with a great vitality initiative, something you're sure will make employees healthier and happier. But as soon as you launch it, you notice a wall of reticence. At the coffee machine, you hear some muttering - a ‘yes-but’ here, a ‘takes too much time anyway’ there. You suddenly notice that the excitement you had expected turns into hesitation. Now what? How do you ensure that employees not only hear about the initiative, but actively sign up and participate? Here are four easy ways to remove the barrier to sign-up and motivate employees to get involved.
Time to read: 5 minutes
Start with an energetic kick-off 🚀
Launching a vitality initiative starts with a positive and energetic kick-off. An inspiring kick-off can do wonders to get employees excited from the first minute. Consider a healthy lunch, a breakfast session or even an afternoon walk where colleagues come together to sample the atmosphere and discover the benefits of the initiative.
To make this kick-off even more powerful, you can invite an inspiring speaker - think of a health coach or vitality ambassador sharing a compelling story. A speaker who shares personal experiences or practical tips will immediately bring vitality to life among those present. For example, have the speaker tell how a vitality programme has brought positive changes in their lives. This makes it not only tangible, but also inspiring and relevant for your employees.
In addition, provide an interactive session where employees can participate directly. A short workshop, for instance on stress reduction or healthy eating habits, can already be a great starting point. Offer a Q&A session so employees can ask questions and immediately feel that their involvement matters. This personal interaction lets employees not only listen, but also actively participate and feel connected to the initiative.
Make it a team challenge 🎉
Vitality becomes even more attractive when employees can experience it together. People feel more committed and motivated when they can work on a goal together with colleagues. Therefore, make the vitality initiative a team challenge where cooperation and fun are paramount.
One way to support this is to set up a simple digital platform - or use an existing channel such as Slack - where teams can share their progress and encourage each other. Consider a dedicated channel where employees can share their sporting successes, healthy lunches or relaxing walks. It makes employees feel like they are working on something together and makes the initiative visible to the whole team.
In addition, you can offer small, achievable goals that employees can achieve together. For example, suggest a short lunch walk every day or prepare a healthy meal together. By keeping these goals simple and accessible, vitality becomes part of the daily routine. Each goal achieved feels like a victory and brings employees closer together, contributing to a positive and motivating work atmosphere.
Visual reminders bring vitality to life 🎨
In a busy working day, visual reminders are a handy way to keep vitality at the forefront. They playfully remind employees of the vitality initiative, without them having to actively look for it. Posters and visual reminders can play a big role in this by making the initiative visible and attractive. Hang colourful posters and reminders in places where employees frequent, such as the coffee room, lifts and workstations. With catchy texts and inspiring images, employees feel encouraged to participate every time. Think of a cheerful poster with the message: ‘Grab your moment of relaxation!’ and add a QR code that leads directly to the registration page.
This way, you keep it accessible and inviting for employees. It is also smart to update the visuals regularly to keep it fresh and eye-catching. Place an announcement on the intranet or send out a short newsletter highlighting the vitality initiative once again. By constantly reminding employees in different ways, vitality stays top of mind and you provide an extra push towards participation.
Keep it simple: the first step is everything 🚶♂️
The easier it is to participate, the more likely employees will sign up. Many people perceive vitality programmes as time-consuming or complicated, so make the first step especially low-threshold and accessible. Make sure that signing up only takes a few seconds and that employees immediately understand what the initiative entails.
A simple sign-up procedure often works best. For instance, consider a one-click registration or a short introductory quiz that helps employees take the first step immediately. You can also send a personal invitation briefly explaining the initiative. Sending a friendly, personal message inviting employees to a no-obligation introductory session will make them feel welcome and engaged.
In addition, you can offer a short trial period during which employees can discover what the vitality initiative entails without any obligations. For example, organise an introductory session or a short introductory workshop where employees can explore the programme without any obligations. This will lower the threshold to really get involved and employees will feel more inclined to actively participate.
A vitality initiative starts with enthusiasm and inspiration, and as HR manager, you play a key role in this. By keeping thresholds low, creating a playful team spirit, and providing visual reminders, vitality becomes a visible and attractive part of the working day. What you can already do today? Give vitality a prominent place in the workplace and make it easy for employees to sign up - together you will ensure a healthier and more vital workplace!
