Recruiting & Retention - Why Your Wellness Program is So Important!

Nowadays, it seems every sheriff’s office and correctional facility has a “Help Wanted” sign on their front door. It should be our goal to not just get people through the door but get quality applicants who are invested in this noble career. For this, we need to showcase how we invest in our people through our agency’s wellness initiatives.

Developing and promoting wellness initiatives has proven to be invaluable. It helps with improved job satisfaction, reduces turnover and absenteeism, decreases injuries (both physical and mental), and can help lead to a happier, healthier, and longer life. According to a 2023 UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, 68% of employees who had taken advantage of an employer sponsored wellness program reported that it positively impacted their health.

Our wellness initiatives should include activities and benefits that help strengthen our physical, mental, and spiritual lives and help build healthier relationships. Ideas include:

• Health education programs

• Physical fitness and nutrition

• Health screenings

• Smoking cessations

• Mental health programs

• Meditation and mindfulness training

• Financial training

• Yoga

• Strength training

• Gym memberships

• In-house therapist

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

• Peer support

• Wellness challenges

• Stress management tools and training

• Wellness stipends

• Wellness training for supervisors

• Training in people skills (ex. emotional intelligence)

• Family activities

By showcasing our wellness programs, we show potential applicants that we care about the people who choose this career. Everyone knows it’s a tough job, but if the agency invests in its people, it provides a buffer and gives employees the tools to not only survive but thrive throughout their lives. And when we do that, it also staves off trauma and burnout related resignations. By building resources, using healthy coping techniques, and becoming more resilient through post traumatic growth, we can literally come out of this career happier and healthier than when we started.

There are several ways we can showcase our wellness initiatives. The most obvious is through social media. Regularly showing how we invest in our people will help attract quality applicants who want to learn and grow. Some ideas include:

• Testimonials from employees and statements or video clips from administrators and those leading the wellness initiatives.

• Listing initiatives within our wellness programs on our website.

• Incorporating wellness training during onboarding and supervisor training.

• Discussing the initiatives at recruiting events.

• Developing a wellness packet that encourages healthy behaviors during the application process that can be given to applicants.

In the past, applicants were plentiful, and we did not have to spend a lot of time or effort attracting quality applicants. That has all changed and today, employees expect to be invested in and cared for.

When it comes to investing in and improving the lives of their people, the government of the Kingdom of Bhutan has implemented an initiative where they measure Gross National Happiness. In contrast, most governments/countries in this world determine their success and worth by measuring their Gross National Product (GNP) score. But Bhutan looks at how happy their citizens are through surveys in nine different categories. Then they work throughout the year to improve their scores.

In our agencies, we should be doing the same. There are many of these areas that translate well into the workplace environment. We should work to continuously improve the lives of the people we work with, giving them the tools, knowledge and opportunity to learn and grow.

Let’s help each other out! Get on iConnect on the AJA website and list some of the ways your agency invests in its employees. Or reach out to me at: info@brendadietzman.com, and in future articles, I’ll share the information.

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Col. Brenda Dietzman spent 28 years in law enforcement and corrections before retiring as the undersheriff in charge of jail operations in Wichita, Kansas. She is an IADLEST-certified trainer and presents on resilience, generations, recruiting and retention, and other leadership topics. For more information, visit her website at brendadietzman.com