The only incentive you need

Incentives have been used in the workplace for years. Whether a company drives its sales personnel to reach targets by providing a cash reward or vacation getaway, or motivates its CEO to produce a profitable company by providing annual bonuses based on returns, incentives have been here and will remain as long as corporations rely on people to perform. Lately, the focus on incentives relates to the increased interest in employer-sponsored wellness programs- i.e. Let's pay Jane Doe $50 to get her biometric screening, which will hopefully educate her on her health, and motivate her to get healthier. In my opinion, there is nothing inherently wrong with this... As long as you realize that the $50 incentive may serve as a spark for Jane Doe to take action (go get her screening), but will NOT motivate her to make a long-lasting behavior change (start exercising and eating right to lower her BMI.) Incentives are useful tools to get an employee to participate in an activity and can be successful in achieving high rates of participation in well-communicated wellness events. But they do not solve the age-old problem of engagement. How do we keep our employees engaged in their health status? How do we motivate them to make the necessary changes to decrease their health risks over time?

Well, I believe I have a new answer to this question, and I am excited about it. And best of all, it's an incentive you don't need to pay for! It's also probably gained just as much popularity over the last 3 years as wellness itself: social networking.

No, I'm not talking about Facebook, though the astronomical success of Facebook does speak to why this makes sense. I'm talking Sparkpeople.com, Shapeup.com and Virginhealthmiles.com, to name a few. Genius websites and companies that have applied the same principles that make Facebook so successful, to bettering people's health. People who participate in these programs are held accountable by their peers. They can brag when they lose an extra pound, and they can be supported when they struggle to achieve their goal. They can have fun by joining friends, family, co-workers and long-lost pals across the country in challenges that encourage them to walk more, eat less and "win" the social game. It's addicting, but in a good way, and those who participate are more likely to keep going, to stay engaged, and to stay motivated with the support of their social network. The activity of social networking itself incents us to keep at it, gift card or no gift card.

For employers who are reading this and are concerned about the restrictiveness of these sites because of employees with no internet access...I must ask you to think again. Do you know for a fact, that in 2011, more than maybe 3 of your employees really don't have access to the internet? If you have hard facts to support this, then go buy them a smartphone. The $50 you'd spend is still thousands cheaper than the option of doing nothing.