Hot HR Topic or Good Timing?

In our Trends in HR Marketing report "HR Buyers’ Behavior: What to expect in 2010" we surveyed hundreds of human resource and benefits departments on a variety of HR topics. As a group, our findings showed HR buyers were increasing their budgets by 25% for “corporate social networking tools, employee wellness programs, management and leadership development initiatives, performance management systems, and other training and development programs"

Employee wellness, in particular, has been a growing market for many vendors through the recession and is continuing in 2010. Not surprising as:

1. Companies cut staff and give more responsibilities to fewer people. Adding new benefits helps keep them happy;
2. Companies are increasing co-pays on health insurance, so providing employees affordable and personalized wellness programs may help slow the rate of increase;
3. Companies are looking at preventive wellness benefits as a way to reduce overall health care costs.

Whatever the case, wellness is hot at the moment.

This was clearly demonstrated by the attendance at a recent webcast, “Seven Strategies to Build a High Engagement Wellness Program” that we coordinated for an HRmarketer customer, DSM Personalized Nutrition.

DSM Personalized Nutrition has developed the Global Personal Nutrition System (GPNS™), a comprehensive, nutrition based health and wellness program designed to help employees create better health. (You can visit them at www.DSMPersonalizedNutrition.com).

The webcast topic generated 611 registrations and nearly 400 HR and industry professionals attended this week's event.

That may be a record for our webinar marketing team.

And it shows the value for vendors to provide thoughtful and practical content around current HR trends. Yes, wellness is hot now, and with increased incentives for wellness benefits and preventative programs in the new health care legislation, it’s about to get even hotter.

Time to ante up on your marketing efforts if you are a wellness vendor.