Making wellbeing matter: How a manufacturing company won over a skeptical workforce

Making wellbeing resonate where it historically does not

For decades, Fike has stood out in manufacturing for its commitment to employee wellbeing. The company first launched a wellness program in 1986 when it built its corporate headquarters and included a fitness center as part of the facility's design. Wellbeing was always present.

But presence is not the same as engagement.

As the workforce evolved, so did the challenge. Most employees were engineers, machinists, and skilled trades professionals. Roughly 80% were men. Many were skeptical of corporate wellness programs and resistant to being told how to manage their health.

Fike did not struggle because they lacked a program. They struggled because employees did not see themselves in it.  

Meet Alan Diehl

Alan began supporting Fike’s wellness program as an external consultant in 2012. When that vendor suddenly went out of business, Fike hired him immediately. Not into a predefined role, but because they knew the wellbeing program was too important to lose the person who understood how it worked within their culture.  

Today, Alan leads Learning and Development at Fike, and wellbeing is embedded into how leaders are trained, how managers support teams, and how the organization retains talent. 

The challenge

Fike saw several patterns limiting engagement:

• Annual screenings created short bursts of activity but no sustained momentum

• Complex quarterly requirements overwhelmed employees

• Well-designed initiatives failed because the language did not resonate

• Skepticism created resistance that quietly undermined participation

The issue was not what Fike offered. It was how it was communicated. 

The shift in thinking

A mindfulness program called “Mindful Momentum” performed well with female employees but failed to connect with the broader workforce.

Fike did not change the content. They changed the framing.

The program returned as “Shifting Gears.”

Mental wellbeing was described as preventive maintenance. Screenings were compared to oil changes. Mindfulness became tuning the engine.

Engagement increased because the message sounded like the people it was meant for.  

What Fike focused on

Rather than pushing participation, Fike redesigned the structure of the program to feel flexible, familiar, and personal.

They moved to a semi-annual cadence. They introduced monthly challenges tied to everyday behaviors like sleep, hydration, steps, and mindfulness. Employees could earn incentives in ways that matched what they were already doing.

Wellbeing also expanded into leadership training, ergonomic assessments, and psychological safety education for managers.  

Employees felt they had options instead of obligations. 

Extending wellbeing beyond the employee

Fike made a rare decision to extend full wellbeing access to spouses, even if they were not enrolled in the company's health plan.

Alan believed behavior change does not happen alone. Without support at home, long-term efforts fail. Fike prioritized family involvement and cultural impact over strict ROI math.  

Addressing skepticism directly

Fike’s wellbeing committee intentionally included both champions and skeptics. Critics were invited into the conversation so concerns could be heard and addressed.

This approach reduced resistance, increased trust, and improved communication across the workforce.  

The outcomes Fike sees

Fike measures success by cultural and behavioral impact, not just participation numbers.

They report:

• Sustained engagement in a traditionally hard-to-reach workforce

• Higher participation due to personalized challenges and incentives

• Increased trust by addressing skepticism openly

• Stronger retention through culture differentiation

• Family involvement reinforcing long-term behavior change

• Leaders trained to create psychologically safe teams

Alan shares that the most meaningful moments are when employees tell stories about how the program changed their families’ trajectory.  

What this means for organizations like yours

If employees do not see themselves in your wellbeing program, engagement will always feel like an uphill battle.

Fike’s story shows that the solution is not adding more initiatives. It is reframing them in a way that feels personal, familiar, and relevant to the workforce you have.

Because when employees do not see themselves in what you offer, even the best programs become wasted benefits.

If you are seeing low engagement, underused resources, or employees who simply are not connecting with the support available to them, you are likely facing the same challenge Fike worked through.

Our e-book, Wasted Benefits: Why Employees Do Not Use What They Are Offered and How to Fix It, breaks down the communication gaps, cultural barriers, and structural issues that prevent employees from engaging and shows how organizations are turning underused benefits into measurable value.

Download the e-book to learn how to make your wellbeing and benefits strategy feel relevant to the people it is built for.