Victoria Anderson links wellbeing to analytics, for a better workplace.
The health and wellbeing of employees is now central to every forward-thinking company’s strategic plan. For an organisation to run at its optimum level, it’s essential that staff are fit and healthy and enjoying what they do.
However, ensuring that employees are healthy in mind and body can be a difficult and time-consuming task. It can also be very difficult to work out what works best for your staff. What is essential, is that companies constantly evolve and learn and then use this knowledge to improve productivity.
When it comes to improving the health and wellbeing of your employees, knowledge is power. Companies need to be constantly evolving and learning from prior mistakes. A health and wellbeing programme must not only deliver results in the short-term, but must be able to highlight tangible long-term benefits to employers.
Producing data analytics shows decision-makers where the problems may lie, and what works and what does not work. The data also identifies hot spots which can be used for future planning.
Organisations need to place actual human health in front of digital health.
This is not something a company does simply to tick a box, they will actually get tangible benefits from it in the short term and long term. And, continual analysis in the background provides insights into employee behaviour identifying what is working well and what is not.
This analysis can then bedelivered in the form of a report to the decision-makers.
At the individual level most wellness interventions are not sufficiently personalised to engage their brain and body performance. People are always more motivated when they find out something new about themselves which is what regular performance and feedback provides.
At a team level, aggregate data can help identify training interventions for teams. This could take the form of physical posturing analysis, time management, stress management, mindfulness and so forth. In addition, sharing performance data incentivises team members and boosts morale.
Brain and body training programmes, if followed correctly, are proven to create healthier, happier and more productive employees; lower absenteeism; improve engagement and retention rates; and ultimately enhance the performance of the company overall. This is not an occupational health tool, it’s about helping employees stay fit and healthy all year round.
Organisations need to place actual human health in front of digital health. If someone is fit and healthy in mind and body at work, it is proven that they perform better. An analogy I often use is working with aches and pains, combined with too much stress, is like having too many apps open on your phone – your battery wears down much faster.
About the author
Victoria Anderson is clinical and digital director at Better Humans Technology.
