Sometimes, an organization is very clear on its communications objectives: to educate, heighten awareness, modify behaviours, reduce confusion and put out a call to action. But it takes a keen sensitivity to one’s employees to know how to reach them in order to achieve those objectives.
“Know your audience” is a primary rule of organizational communications, but sometimes—even when you think you know your audience—you find yourself having to dig a little deeper to come up with just the right mechanism to really reach them and effect a change.
Sleep Country Canada knew its objectives. After watching health claims steadily increase in recent years, the company conducted health risk assessments of its cross-Canada associates hoping to pinpoint the source for these rising claims. Sleep Country uncovered a number of issues and one stood out as the most likely health culprit: weight gain.
Being proactive and responsible, Sleep Country did all the right things. The company met with its benefits consultant and employee assistance provider (EAP) to review statistics and develop a plan to reduce, or at least mitigate, the health risks associated with being overweight. Sleep Country took advantage of its EAP’s online tools to promote healthy activities and better nutrition through education, support and behavioural tracking. It even included some small incentives (such as gift cards to local health- and wellness-related establishments) and a points award system to both motivate and measure progress.
Then the company communicated through tried-and-true channels: it put up flyers, used email and ensured that managers—primary communication gatekeepers—discussed and promoted the program. It offered prizes just to sign up.
But there was very little interest.
What does an organization do when it follows the textbook rules but to no avail?
Heather Ricketts, HR manager with Sleep Country Canada, met with her team to brainstorm ideas to solve this dilemma. They stepped back and really analyzed their unique employee audience. “We asked ourselves, ‘What are the personal characteristics of the type of people who make up our workforce?’ Our group is very diverse, but one quality stands out in its abundance: competitiveness,” said Ricketts.
Understanding that Sleep Country Canada’s sales force is naturally driven by competition, Ricketts knew that a $20 gift card for signing up was not enough to move this group to use the EAP’s online tools. She needed something big, something that they wouldn’t expect as an incentive and that was attractive enough to engage people. That something was a grand prize trip for two to a luxury Mexican resort.
And that’s how Sleep Country Canada launched its Biggest Loser campaign.
Once the prize was established, Ricketts and her team established weigh-in stations at all distribution centres and head offices, as well as in several stores across all regions. Working with its EAP, the company provided nutrition support over the phone and online. In-store volunteers were delegated to administer and record individuals’ weight. There was a weekly prize for those who lost the most weight that week in their six regions, and the highest regional winners were entered into a weekly draw for various types of gift cards. In order to qualify for the grand prize, the overall winner had to meet the minimum standard weight loss requirement of at least 18 pounds, which had to be equivalent to 10% of body weight.
The results
More than 15% of Sleep Country Canada associates participated in this program. (Remember, a weight loss campaign won’t apply to everyone.) Of the participants, 11 associates lost the minimum 18-pound standard within the campaign timeline of 13 weeks. As for the impact upon health claims costs, the comparative numbers are still coming in. But, bear in mind, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that, even a modest weight loss, such as 5% to 10% of total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits such as improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar. (Visit the CDC website for more information.)
Communication tips
Let’s review the communication steps undertaken by Sleep Country to ensure it engaged their employees in this important process.
- Know your audience. This most fundamental communications rule can be surprisingly challenging in its nuances. In Sleep Country’s case, it was only when it more closely drilled down into the nature of its associates, pinpointing an innate competitiveness, that the company was able to refine the delivery of the program to greater effectiveness.
- Leadership support required. At Sleep Country, HR’s leadership demonstrated enough commitment to wellness that it chose not to scrap a program that did not initially succeed. Instead, HR reworked it for success. With executive leadership buy-in, Sleep Country recently completed a Round 2 Biggest Loser campaign with participation levels and successes similar to Round 1.
- Use peer ambassadors. Sleep Country’s own associates had an important role in each campaign, some of whom acted as recordkeepers for a store or area. In addition, Round 2 benefited from peer coaches. These were successful individuals from Round 1 who could coach Round 2 participants.
- Stories remain most effective. It’s interesting that in a high-tech world, one of the most effective methods of communications remains a story. Sleep Country used participant stories from Round 1,—namely, testimonials and photos circulated every couple of weeks—to encourage and motivate Round 2 members and keep them engaged.
- Managers are communications gatekeepers. Time and again, workplace studies reveal that it’s usually the manager to whom an employee reports who is the most critical link in the workplace communications chain. Throughout the Biggest Loser campaigns, Sleep Country managers continually discussed and shared updates on progressions and weekly winners thereby keeping the event alive and dynamic.
- Repeat. It’s not enough to say it once and hope for the best. Human nature requires multiple cues and Sleep Country delivered those through regular weekly updates, frequent manager reminders and peer involvement to ensure the campaign was top of mind for its associates.
Esther Huberman is a communications consultant with Pal Benefits. ehuberman@palbenefits.com.
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