10 analytics data points for measuring the effectiveness of wellness programs

One of the most vital tools an organization can use to improve its wellness program efforts is also perhaps its least flashy: data. But experts and successful organizations can prove that analytics positively impact employee well-being programs, helping them meet goals and increase their ROI.

W.W. Grainger, a Fortune 500 industrial-supply company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, prides itself on keeping the world working. Maintaining employee health and happiness is essential to the mission. It uses a four-pronged well-being program to make it happen, offering physical, emotional and financial-wellness benefits.

“What we’ve done at Grainger is started a couple of things as a pilot to see how it works before rolling it out more broadly,” says Lisa Thompson, director of benefits.

Grainger uses analytics to understand a program’s impact before recommending a full rollout to workers. This method allows them to tweak issues and test drive the vendor’s solutions before fully investing in a program.

Paula Allen is the global leader and senior vice president of research for LifeWorks, an HR services and technology company. Allen believes measuring data should be tailored to an organization’s unique demands.