Prof Hew Gill, Associate Provost Sunway University
In the last two decades, information technology has moved from the office and classroom into our homes and our hands leading to an explosion in apps and gadgets that target our well-being. This technology has made it possible for employees to track and record their own health in ways that until recently were the preserve of science fiction and employers should be thinking about how they can use technology to help their staff lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.
The market for wearable devices and other personalised technologies that can be used to monitor and record heart rate, exercise levels, sleep patterns, etc is already worth more than USD 25 billion annually and is growing at 20% per year. As well as becoming ever more affordable this technology is becoming more capable and the sensors which can keep track of physical phenomena are being supplemented by functions that monitor mental health. This can give individuals valuable insights into their own well-being which in turn may provide information that is a useful addition to organisational planning. These devices can also be used to harness the power of gamification leading to major improvements in staff health and engagement. For example, across the Sunway Group there are regular competitions between business units and work groups to see who can walk the most steps, climb the most stairs, lower their resting heart rate, etc, etc. Improvements in fitness are good for physical health, yet they also have a significant and positive impact on mental health because exercise and diet have direct effects on mood and stress levels. These healthy contests are a great deal of fun, and the fact that they are both individual and team-based gives a slightly competitive element that motivates employees to make permanent changes in their lifestyle that will have longer-term benefits. Of course, there is also a lot of support from colleagues to encourage those people who might otherwise drop out, and this builds stronger teams and brings people together in ways that also have real business benefits in terms of productivity. Making a small investment in health tracking devices is truly a win-win because it’s a great way to improve the physical and psychological well-being of your employees and will lead to a healthier, happier and more productive workforce for the long-term.
Technology can also be a very cost-effective and flexible way to deliver targeted employee assistance programmes, and other tools and services that can improve employee well-being. Technology offers employers scalability and access to a large number of different supplier services, while at the same enabling employees to take a very personalised approach to choosing services to support their own well-being. This means, for example, that companies can offer many different forms of counselling covering everything from relationships and mental health through to financial planning and career guidance without needing to hire permanent experts or even organise appointments or sessions onsite because employees can choose what to access at times that suit them. Similarly, employees can use technology to schedule their own health check-ups and download apps to help with everything from reducing stress through meditation, improving physical health through exercise, to getting a better night’s sleep.
Establishing company-wide digital support networks can be a very effective way to help employees exchange information and tips about their well-being, ask questions, and share their progress. At the level of the individual employee such networks quickly spread helpful information and create greater social engagement and a sense of organisational belonging that improves well-being, performance and staff retention. At the departmental and company levels the queries, views and responses posted on internal support networks can be very useful for the early identification of any developing issues around well-being, as well providing a really good way to monitor the impact of well-being policies and plans across the organisation.
Employers also need to think about how staff use technology. Issuing clear guidance and setting policies for the ways in which colleagues use personal and work-related technology can make people feel more confident and happier about what is expected of them. The pandemic has shown us that technology can allow people to work effectively from different locations, and introducing policies for working from home and allowing more flexibility in starting and finishing times can really boost staff well-being because it helps people achieve better work-life balance. Indeed, everybody needs rest and time off, so clear guidance on when people should be available and when it may acceptable to message colleagues outside normal working hours can help employees guard their all-important personal time and also reduce the tendency to presenteeism which can have a negative impact on job performance over time.
Technology already offers many ways to help organisations improve the well-being of their employees and these will only get better over time. Now is the time to think about how your company can use technology to improve the well-being of your employees because with the correct policies and minimal investment you can get big returns through better productivity and profitability.
