Our Methodology

Determining the Best in Workplace Wellness

We take a holistic view of worksite health, understanding what it looks like to have your leadership team completely bought in, to understand the needs of your employee population, and identify how you are proactively supporting wellbeing.

Watch to learn how the Healthiest Employers are selected.

Scoring Methodology

A Holistic View on Employee Population Health

The categories, scoring, and benchmarking were formed with the help of a national, non-biased group of representatives from the academic, medical, wellness and business communities.

The Healthiest Employers assessment is scored Rubric style on a 1-100 scale. The assessment is made up of six categories with yes/no, multiple choice, and short answer questions, with each question totaling .25-3 points. A Healthiest Employers Index (HEI) is assigned to each applicant to help rank among companies of similar size.

The Six Pillars of Wellness

The Healthiest Employers award program is a comprehensive online assessment to evaluate company performance spanning six key areas of health and wellbeing:

Culture & Leadership Commitment

Culture determines the success (or failure) of today’s well-being programs. Leadership plays a critical role in affecting an organization’s approach to programming. These questions are designed to measure your organization’s commitment to employee health.

Foundational Components

The foundation of your health program will determine its overall, long-term strength. Shallow programs can be built quickly but have difficulty in producing lasting results. This section takes a closer look at the core elements of your program.

Strategic Planning

Achieving an innovative program begins by developing a mid and long-term strategy. This work will be evidenced in the results of a healthier, more productive workforce. Use this data to measure the strength of the planning behind your program.

Communications & Marketing

With a communications and marketing plan tailored to your employees’ needs, you can turn lackluster perception and participation into ongoing momentum. This category examines the communication practices and tactics you have in place to drive success.

Programming & Interventions

Effective methods and engagement strategies are often ones that address the self-interest, desires, and needs of the employee population. This section considers your programs, engagement strategies, and incentives to maximize effectiveness.

Reporting & Analytics

For any health initiatives to be effectively managed, it must be measured. Research, data, and experience show that healthy employees are more productive, spend less time away from the workforce, and spend less in healthcare. Savvy employees are always seeking ways to measure success.