You already know the importance of employee assistance program (EAP) providers for making sure your team members are healthy, happy, and engaged at work. But maybe you’re wondering how successful your EAP program has been and whether or not you are getting your money’s worth.
If you don’t keep an eye on your EAP program, you run the risk of it becoming a seldom-used resource that doesn’t help your employees as it should. Here are four tips on making sure that EAP resources are fully taken advantage of by your employees:
- Track and analyze the data
Most EAP providers will also give you information about your company’s use of their resources. While privacy regulations prevent them from providing specific information, you should be able to track general trends in the use of your EAP resources in different fields, from substance abuse to family concerns to financial management. If you see that employees are heavily utilizing a certain area, you can speak to your provider about increasing resource availability in it, and vice versa.
- Talk to your team
While data and reporting can provide a good general overview of what’s happening with your EAP program, there’s nothing like having an actual conversation with your employees to see what they are thinking. As long as they don’t feel that they’ll be punished for speaking honestly, you will be able to glean valuable insights on what is and isn’t working with your EAP program.
These conversations should be logged and referred to for future planning sessions, so that you can ensure you are making decisions that align with the requirements of your employees. You can also consider sending out company surveys as an alternative to scheduling in-person meetings with each employee, if it would be easier logistically.
- Schedule periodic updates and reviews
Just because you’ve obtained and implemented an EAP program doesn’t mean your work is done – an EAP is not a “set it and forget it” type of resource. You should schedule a regular meeting that involves representatives from all divisions and levels of your company, so that everyone is on the same page and can provide their own feedback on the organization’s EAP program. Based on these check-in meetings, you can create new goals and milestones to help make your EAP even more effective.
- Encourage employee community
An EAP program is extremely valuable to help employees deal with personal, medical, and family issues, but sometimes the best way to assist employees is through support from their peers. If you know that several employees are dealing with similar challenges – such as taking care of elderly parents – you might consider building a group or community within your organization that can exchange information, experiences, and support with one another when it comes to caring for aging parents. You can also incorporate these types of resources into company correspondence, such as a quarterly newsletter. Always be careful not to infringe on privacy – you don’t want to create gossip or unnecessary labels in the workplace – and make these communities completely voluntary.
Some of the steps you take to get the most from an EAP will involve processes within your own business, while others will depend on the particular provider you use. If you’re looking for a customizable, value-driven way to provide an EAP for your staff, get in touch with the expert team at Senior Providers Network today.
