How to find the right corporate wellness talks or workshops for your organization

There are a lot of different types of corporate wellness talks and workshops that will help improve the health and wellness of your employees.

The tricky bit is finding the right one!

There are so many to choose from, and they cover so many different topics, it’s difficult to know where to start with it all.

That’s why I’ve put together this blog post to talk you through how to find the right wellness talks or workshops for you.

What are the different types of corporate wellness talks and workshops?

As I said earlier, there are A LOT of different types of wellness talks and workshops. Wellness encompasses so many different elements, from mental health to mindfulness, and financial health to nutrition and exercise.

Typically, you will find that wellness talks and workshops cover the following topics:

• Physical health
• Nutrition
• Mental health (such as stress management)
• Mindfulness
• Sleep
• Resilience

How to select a wellness topic that’s right for your organization

This is where it can get a little tricky because it’s difficult to know exactly what ‘topic’ you should choose for your wellness talk or workshop.

Many of my clients actually choose multiple wellness talks or workshops and tie them in with national or international awareness days. For example, Mindfulness Day takes place on the 12th of September, so that would be a good time to book a mindfulness talk or workshop.

Mental Health Awareness Month in the US takes place in May, so you could book a series of mental health talks or workshops during that month.

In addition, Employee Wellness Month is celebrated in June, so consider arranging talks your employees would be interested in for then.

What do your employees need?

A good strategy is to look at what your staff need extra support with.

Following the pandemic, there’s been a boom in organizations asking for mindfulness or resilience workshops. Staff have had to deal with drastic changes to both their working and personal lives, and companies are looking to provide extra support. Resilience and mindfulness workshops give employees the tools they need to help cope with changes.

A good place to start when deciding what wellness talks or workshops to deliver to your staff is to ask your HR department. What do they think your staff need support with? What are the common issues or concerns for staff members? This will help you decide what kind of wellness talks or workshops your organization needs. You could also collect data through surveys, directly asking your staff which mental health and well-being topics they need or would benefit from the most. Asking rather than assuming is the best way to go.

Figure out who the workshop or talk is aimed at

You might think that wellness talks or workshops are only for the entire organization, but actually, you can tailor specific talks or workshops to specific people. For example, you could have wellness talks for:

1. All employees

Inviting your entire organization to a corporate wellness talk or workshop has its benefits as it brings all teams together and gets people socializing.

2. Leaders

Leaders can struggle with high levels of stress and become overwhelmed, particularly as many have a tendency to put their staff’s welfare first (but neglect themselves!).

This is why wellness talks and workshops aimed specifically at leaders and the problems they face (managing their team, coping with changes, delegating, etc.) can be hugely beneficial.

Leaders often struggle to appear vulnerable in front of their staff, so wellness talks and workshops aimed solely at leaders allow them to open up more easily.

3. Team specific

You can book workshops or talks for specific teams within your organization such as HR, Sales, Finance, or Marketing. This gives teams the opportunity to bond and have some much-needed respite from work.

It also allows you to tailor specific talks or workshops around the needs of the team. For example, it might be beneficial for your HR team to attend a ‘how to practice mindfulness at work’ workshop because they’ve had a particularly busy and stressful time.

4. Those who need it

Finally, you can simply set up a ‘company-wide’ workshop or talk that people can volunteer to attend.

This is useful because the people that attend will be more engaged and committed to the workshop or talk. However, staff may need encouragement to take part! They might not want to take an hour out from their work to attend a talk or workshop, so you will need to promote it well internally.

How much does a corporate wellness talk or workshop cost?

Once you’ve worked out what the wellness workshop/talk is about and who it’s aimed at, you’ll need to budget how much you’d like to spend.

Often, at the start of the financial year, companies will have a budget for staff learning and development. So, it’s a good time to work out what workshops and wellness talks you’d like as part of your organization.

The prices for corporate wellness talks and workshops can range from $200 to $5,000. Yes, there’s quite a big difference in the numbers! It's about finding the right fit for your organization.

Should you choose online or in-person talks or workshops?

You’ll also need to consider whether you choose an online workshop or talk or an in-person one.

With many employees working from home all over the world, online well-being workshops offer the chance to bring everyone together in an environment they feel comfortable.

If you’re considering your impact on the environment, online workshops can drastically reduce your carbon footprint.

However, sometimes you’ll prefer an in-person talk or workshop for your staff. Lunch and learn sessions tend to be hugely popular with staff (who will appreciate good food while they learn).

A lot of my clients mainly choose online workshops and talks but have a few in-person events throughout the year too.

Finding the right trainer for your organization

Yes, the topics may be different but all trainers are different too.

The majority should have qualifications, experience, and expert knowledge in their field. For example, I have a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University in the United States. I’m an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology and conduct research studies on psychological well-being. Basically, I take my 18+ years of teaching and research experience in the field of psychology and more than 10,000 hours of therapy work and apply them to improve mental health and emotional well-being at work.

Everyone has a different way of working, and a different way of approaching their clients. I can’t speak for other trainers, but, for me, everything I do is backed by science, and I take a people-centric approach. This means I value creating a safe and supportive learning environment where everyone feels empowered to be themselves and apply evidence-based knowledge to their personal and professional lives in a way that feels meaningful to them.

The best thing to do is to have a look at a trainer’s website or LinkedIn and get a feel for how they work and what they say. You can usually tell if they’re going to be a culture-fit just by reading their words.

What about larger companies that offer corporate wellness workshops?

You may have come across larger companies that offer wellness workshops and talks for organizations. These companies specialize in training such as well-being workshops, mental health courses, and even on-site massage or exercise classes. They might be partnered with hundreds of practitioners, who deliver the training for them.

It can be difficult to see from their websites how their practitioners work or what their qualifications are. So, if you’re hiring a larger company for this kind of training, just ask them for more information about your trainer.

Do you need a wellness workshop or a program?

Sometimes, clients will ask me if they need a workshop or a program, and the answer is: it depends.

A workshop typically lasts 60-90 minutes or half a day.

A program will last 3-6 months. They are much more in-depth and often include regular support, interactive courses and training modules, and seminars or workshops. If you’re not sure which one is best for your organization, check out my service here, or contact me for more information.

What’s your next step?

Hopefully, you’ll now have a better understanding of how to find the right corporate wellness talk for your organization.

And if you feel like your team would benefit from mindfulness-based training, I might just be the right fit for you.

I specialize in mindfulness-based well-being workshops and wellness programs that help teams and leaders feel happier, less stressed, and more productive.

If you’d like to know more about how that all works, you can contact me here.