Dive Brief:

• Employers know that wellness is not just a workplace event, and many look for ways to help employees make healthy decisions beyond the work day, according to Employee Benefits Network.
• Wellness apps are considered one way to engage employees outside of work, but employers need to be careful to evaluate and examine such apps. Employees have different wellness goals and desires that must be accounted for, for instance.
• Brian Berchtold, vice president of sales and marketing with hubbub health, a wellness program vendor, offered five questions for employers looking to evaluate wellness program apps, including: Will it work for employees with diverse health goals? Will employees use it? Will employees stay motivated and engaged? Can I customize it? Will it help create a healthy support system?

Dive Insight:

Of the five, no doubt the most important is whether or not employees will bother to use it in the first place, because without participation, the other four questions become moot.

Whether or not an app gets used relates to ease of use, Berchtold told EBN. "Is this reputable? Can I trust it? How easy is it for [employees] to navigate," he said. "Most importantly, how easy is it for me to find things that are unique to my diverse health goals?"

Accessibility for all employees, regardless of wellness level, is necessary, too.

"Regardless of where I am on my wellness journey, the app has to speak to me," says Berchtold. "It has to be inviting."