Company Health and Wellness : Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Employee Interest Survey

To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must learn what workers need and want. They are the people whose actions you are trying to impact, so it’s important to understand their needs and gain their reinforcement.

The Employee Interest Survey

Ask employees questions that allow you to evaluate such key characteristics as age, sex, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical activity participation.

It’s significant to know this information so that your physical exercise plan meets employees’ needs. Employees will not participate in something they’re not interested in.

Ask staff members what they want, and then start changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. By way of example, staff members may not wish to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work.

Ask staff members what the corporation could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. If there’s a common trend throughout your organization, a single change could affect an abundance of people.

For example, suppose a sizable group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage might be important as well.

If you’re launching a program that requires going outside, begin in the spring. By the time winter arrives, participation is already a habit.

Involving workers is key to expanding physical activity participation rates. People are more willing to participate in and support physical activity drives when they are involved in decision making.

The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey:

• Keep it short (no longer than ten minutes to complete).
• Let employees know why you are doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and tough to analyze, ask them to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.
• If you’re including a list of potential programs or environmental changes, see that your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.