Needs Assessment 101

A baseline needs assessment can be considered the market research phase for a workforce health promotion program and is critical for employers who want a program to reflect employee needs and align with company objectives. It is important to involve employees in all activities related to Workforce Health Promotion program design, and needs assessment is a great place to begin that process. Include a diverse group of employees – from all levels of the organization, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, ages, and genders.

Needs assessments can be conducted by the company or by health benefits or Workforce Health Promotion consultants. These assessments can be comprehensive or limited in scope. Needs assessments can measure and identify the following:

• Baseline data necessary for evaluation purposes
• Management and programmatic goals and objectives
• The feasibility of implementing a Workforce Health Promotion program at a given workplace
• Support for Workforce Health Promotion at various levels of the organization
• Employee needs and interests