Implementing a financial wellness program: Finding a third-party provider

GO with Eckler: Engaging insights about financial wellness in the workplace

Step two: Finding a third-party provider

In our last edition, we introduced you to the first of the five steps to implementing a wellness plan in the workplace.  In this edition, we’ll take a deep dive into step two – finding a third-party financial wellness provider.

You are focused on running your business or organization, and unless you are a financial services company, you probably don’t have the internal expertise or knowledge to deliver a financial wellness program that engages employees and leads to improved financial confidence. This is where a third-party expert plays a critical role in the success of your program.  Much like selecting any other provider, there are a number of things that you’ll want to consider.

Five steps to implement a successful financial wellness program

  1. Get buy-in from senior executives
  2. Finding a third-party provider
  3. Build the program
  4. Develop a comprehensive communication plan
  5. Measure and assess

Unbiased, experienced and accredited

It’s all about trust. According to Eckler’s survey on financial wellness in the workplace, 84% of employers and 90% of employees want their third-party provider to be unbiased. Eighty-five percent of companies and 84% of employees want their education programs to be provided by a third party that is experienced and more than 80% of employers want the provider to be accredited.1 If the provider you have selected has these characteristics, then your employees are much more likely to trust the information provided and take action on it.

So what does this mean when you’re searching for a financial wellness expert?  In this context, unbiased means that the provider is not directly selling services or products that are typically associated with financial institutions – educational funds, investment or insurance products and advice, for example. While your provider should be aware of the products and services that support your employees’ financial wellness education, they should not receive compensation for selling them.

 

Teal icon with a navy blue border. There is a stylized exclamation mark in the middle to emphasize and draw attention to the content in this section. A third-party provider should be focused on your employees’ financial wellbeing, not on selling products or services.

Experience counts! You will want to find a provider who has experience working with companies to develop workplace financial wellness programs.  A third-party provider should:

  • Understand how to teach adults
  • Help you assess your employees’ needs
  • Know how to work with you to develop and measure your program objectives and success factors
  • Be able to deliver a program that works with your organization’s communication channels and approach
  • Provide the tools and support your employees need to plan for their financial futures

 

Teal icon with a navy blue border. There is a stylized exclamation mark in the middle to emphasize and draw attention to the content in this section. Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) and other accredited financial professionals are held to strict standards of professional responsibility and continuing education requirements.

Hiring an accredited professional not only ensures that your employees are getting expert advice, but also helps develop credibility and “buy-in” for the program. When employees know they’re receiving information from a professional, they are more likely to engage in the program and achieve their goals.

In the past 10 years, the number of employees who have used the financial services their employers provide has increased from 51% to 88%.2   Eckler’s Financial Wellness Consultants have helped!  Over the past four years, we have helped many organizations like yours develop and deliver award-winning financial wellness programs that achieve organizational objectives – and support the financial health of their employees.

12019 Eckler survey on financial wellness in the workplace
2 2021 PWC Employee Financial Wellness Survey

GO with Eckler is a quarterly newsletter to help employers and plan sponsors support financial wellness for their employees and plan members.

Please contact your Eckler consultant if you would like to learn more about supporting financial wellness in your workplace.

An envelope icon to represent email that links to an online contact form. An icon with a telephone handset indicating a method to contact Janice Holman, a consultant with Eckler Financial Wellness. An icon to indicate an online resource that links to Eckler's Guided Outcomes Financial Wellness page on Eckler.ca.