Beyond Step Counts: What a Wellbeing Program Should Actually Do for Employees and Companies
Higher step counts? More primary care visits? Lower blood pressure? These are the usual suspects when we talk about wellbeing programs. While these are all measurable outcomes, they miss the most important question: are people actually feeling better, functioning better, and thriving at work and in life?
Why Hyper-Clinical Wellness Model Isn’t Working
For years, workplace wellness programs have taken a narrow, clinical approach. Think: biometric screenings, step challenges, and incentives to go to the doctor. But the data tells us this model is... underwhelming.
A 2019 study published in JAMA followed employees at 160 worksites and found that traditional wellness programs had no significant impact on clinical outcomes, healthcare costs, or job performance over 18 months. While employees self-reported some changes, there was little evidence of widespread impact on real health or work performance outcomes.
So what does move the needle?
The Real Drivers of Workplace Wellness (Hint: It’s Not Step Counts!)
According to extensive research by Gallup, wellbeing at work that actually impacts an organization’s bottom line isn’t about pedometers or protein shakes, it’s about how employees experience their day-to-day life. Gallup’s global analysis identifies that the biggest drivers of thriving employees have less to do with Fitbits and more to do with work-life satisfaction:
Career – You like what you do every day
Social – You have meaningful connections
Financial – You feel in control of your money
Community – You feel connected to where you live and work
Physical – You have the energy to do what you want
And here’s the kicker: employees who thrive in all five areas are 81% less likely to experience burnout and 41% less likely to miss work due to poor health. Even more, Gallup found that employee engagement and wellbeing are mutually reinforcing, meaning one drives the other. Organizations that prioritize holistic wellbeing see measurable gains in productivity, retention, and morale.
So, if we want to design wellbeing programs that actually work, we need to start with what actually improves people’s daily work-life, not just their step count.
The Key Ingredient: Behavior Change
Wellbeing isn’t a product you can hand someone, it’s a practice. A series of choices that unfold slowly, to help people navigate the daily challenges of life with more ease and control.
And like any lasting transformation, it hinges on behavior change.
At On the Goga, we build our programs around the psychology of how people actually change. We understand that behavior change happens in steps, and we provide support at every phase using our SHIFT Framework:
Spark - Something clicks. A new idea lands. Curiosity lights up.
Hurdle - A challenge surfaces. “This is what’s getting in my way.”
Insight Gained - A new strategy or perspective emerges. Tools in hand.
First Step Taken - Action happens. A small move. A quiet beginning.
Traction - The shift becomes sustainable. A new rhythm takes hold.
Every challenge, every workshop, every email or resource we deliver is designed by experts to help people identify where they are in this process, and move to the next phase, engineering the conditions for small, meaningful actions that ripple into cultural change.
Meeting People Where They Are (Literally and Metaphorically)
Behavior change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it definitely doesn’t happen all at once in a single step counts challenge. That’s why we support change through multiple, integrated touchpoints. Whether someone prefers reflection, action, conversation, or quiet nudges. Some of the ways we do this are:
✴️ Micro-Challenges that spark ideas and make trying something new feel doable
🌀 Workshops that invite active conversation and build skills in real-time
📚 Resources that offer depth without overwhelm
💌 Emails and Text Nudges that show up just when you need them
🌿 Ongoing Campaigns that create momentum and a habit of wellbeing
This multi-prong approach supports every stage of behavior change, from the initial Spark of curiosity to long-term Traction as new habits form. By designing for real life, we make wellbeing not just more accessible, but more likely to stick.
The Quiet Revolution of Real Wellbeing
So yes, the market is flooded with step counts challenges and premium incentives, but the leading organizations are quietly changing how they approach wellbeing. They’re integrating the idea of wellness with professional development, team building, and supportive policies to create a culture of wellbeing. They’re focused on driving behavior change and improving the daily work-life experience of their teams, because they understand that with this approach they don’t just see healthier employees, they see happier, higher performing organizations.
And that changes everything.
Talk to us today to start real change at your organization.
