A volunteer wellness team composed of employee-participants is essential for a wellness program to succeed. Here are 3 ways to ensure your team is “staffed” with the right mix of volunteers, and rotate in new members to give others a break to prevent burn out.
1. Find new recruits like you would candidates for any other open position in the company.
- Create a job description that provides details on responsibilities and expected time commitments.
- Post the “position” in employee break rooms, restrooms, employee-only hallways and stairwells, and on an intranet site if your company has one. You can also send out an email or place a “help wanted” article in a company newsletter.
- Have “Interested in Serving on the Wellness Team?” sign-up sheets available at wellness events.
- Ask for referrals from current team members and various department supervisors. Designate a current team member to contact nominees about serving on the team.
2. No matter how you choose to advertise/recruit for the position(s), be sure you have a way for interested individuals to take the next step.
- Create a “job application” – either in paper form or online – for the team positions you are looking to fill.
- Invite interested individuals to a wellness team informational meeting where they can ask questions and get a better sense of what’s involved with serving on the team.
- “Interview” applicants about their health and wellness interests and experiences so you can match employees to their strengths and roles they will enjoy.
3. Add new members on a yearly basis, but you don’t want an entirely new team each year. You may want to consider two-year terms, with no more than half of the members up for renewal/replacement each year.
