Financial wellness workshops are workshops specifically focused on employee spending. This workshop provides an opportunity for employees to gain knowledge regarding how to better take care of their money. In order to be successful at money management, financial education is required to be able to make better judgments regarding their finances.
In order to design a successful financial wellness workshop, the person leading the workshop needs to address the personal finances of employees. The leader would need to know how much the employees are making, in general, and provide necessary principles and guidelines that can assist them.
To ensure a high level of engagement with the employees, a range of methods can be used in the education process. This may include infographics that may show different approaches and models to achieve financial stability. Along with that, short videos and handouts could also be useful to keep the workshop diverse and far from being boring.
Brainstorming ideas can be used to generate ideas. Employees don’t necessarily have to rely on the facilitator to assist them. Co-workers can also help generate ideas and solutions to help each other out. These sessions can help to come up with ways to improve savings and achieve stronger financial stability.
Financial Experts
A company could hire an external financial expert to lead the financial wellness workshop. A financial expert is an individual who has gained years of knowledge and experience in spending and managing money. Employees will be able to learn exactly what actions to avoid and what actions to endorse for better financial outcomes. A financial expert can also help employees to set SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. The financial expert can help set individual goals or team goals that are most likely to be achieved.
While designing the financial wellness workshop, the financial expert may want to consider adding a section on building small habits. Money management habits are very crucial to be able to make better decisions and choices in life. These habits can create a system that can be followed subconsciously, after following them for a couple of weeks.
Financial experts can show the best strategies employees can follow to achieve their financial goals. Testimonies from other workshops and seminars can be used by the financial expert to convince and inspire employees to imitate similar behaviour. Employees are more likely to be convinced with data driven arguments presented by an expert. If something has worked for someone, it is possible that it could also work for you.
Employees are also encouraged to read books on money management. One of the examples is “Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel, published in 2020. This book helps to understand the value of compounding and how savings can help create financial wellness in one’s life.
Obstacles
There will be obstacles and challenges the facilitator of the workshop will have to consider and address. One of the obstacles is that an employee might feel fear of being judged by the facilitator or financial expert. To tackle such a problem, the facilitator would have to design the workshop in a way that starts off with ice-breaking questions. This will help to relax and warm up all the employees and ease them to talk honestly.
Lack of interest from the employees may also be another obstacle. The facilitator would have to ensure the employees see the value of this financial wellness workshop. This workshop will not only benefit the employees but also the overall corporate wellness. The company will have more satisfied and confident workers who make sound decisions in personal and professional life.
Some employees will have limitations in terms of understanding maths and complex formulas that would help them save money. The workshop would need to provide simple and easy to follow money management strategies that every single worker, from any department, can follow and benefit from.
Technology
Technology is a great tool to be used for financial wellness workshops. Technology allows companies to perform virtual workshops if a highly demanded expert speaker is not able to travel. Virtual workshops not only overcome the issue of distance but also these workshops can be recorded and replayed for employees or team members who may be absent on the workshop day.
The use of technology can also play a significant role in monitoring and tracking the spending of employees. The facilitator of the workshop can help identify smartphone apps employees can use to input their spending data. These apps can not only monitor but also keep track of the frequency and categorise each spending activity. An employee can monitor and review spending activities for the past week or month. Then the employee can make necessary changes in their spending habits to achieve a desired financial goal. The workshop can highlight the key features and benefits of these apps and encourage the use of them.