Unlocking profit and productivity through a data-driven approach to wellbeing

In today's competitive business landscape, worker wellbeing is no longer an organisational ‘want’ but a strategic imperative, driving forward-thinking business leaders to move beyond the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to wellbeing. Instead, forward-thinking companies are taking advantage of new technogies, and the data they capture, to personalise and optimise their wellbeing interventions.  

At the dawn of an ‘Age of AI’ that will be defined by rapid technological development, data and information are key to reaping the rewards that wellbeing (done well) can offer, from increases in productivity and profitability to improved retention rates and public perception.  

We know that employees want to work for companies that care about their wellbeing and that most employers want their employees to thrive[i]. Data-driven wellbeing strategies allow employers to maximise the return on their investment and ensure that their interventions provide each employee with the support they need, when they need it, in a way that best suits their circumstances.  

Data is a term we often use but rarely define. So, in the context of wellbeing, we mean information on an individual and collective basis that can be used to inform workplace health, safety, and wellbeing strategies.  

In practice, this could mean anything from employee heart rate or stress levels, recruitment and retention data, absence and illness rates, and past levels of engagement with wellbeing services. The collection and analysis of this data allows employers to design targeted wellbeing initiatives and take preventative action around developing health trends in the workplace. The adage that ‘prevention is better than a cure’ has never been truer or easier to realise.  

Making use of data 

We know that most employers are already capturing lots of data, but few use it to inform their medium and long-term wellbeing strategies. Data is only effective when it’s used, it has to be taken off the (metaphorical) shelf and put into action in the real world.   

Ask yourself, just how many organisations capture absence data individually but don’t take the next step in assessing this data companywide? How many organisations conduct exit interviews but don’t have the time or resources to chart trends as to why employees want (or are having) to leave?  

Data is key to understanding the challenges that a workforce faces and provides employers with a perfect opportunity to engage workers in the design, development, and deployment of wellbeing interventions. We know that wellbeing strategies designed with, not for employees see far higher levels of engagement and buy-in, offering a better ROI for employers. 

Data-driven insights 

How employers use the data they collect will be a determining factor in the success of their wellbeing strategy. Utilising new and developing technologies to create actionable, data-driven insights can provide employers with new ideas to solve the perennial challenges of their workplace.  

Take stress, for example, a leading reason for UK workplace absence. Throughout 2023, one in five workers were absent from work due to pressure or stress^[ii]. This contributes to rising levels of economic inactivity and lower productivity within the UK workforce, but data insights and AI are offering real solutions to this very real problem.  

In 2021, Microsoft launched Viva, which provides users with tailored insights based on their working habits. Data from Viva has been used by employers to identify employees who are over-scheduled and work with them to better manage their workloads.  

Data is an invaluable tool by which employers can implement real and meaningful change, whether that change comes through internal policies, flexible, hybrid, or home working, or a range of other options available to employers.  

Privacy concerns  

In a world that is, quite rightly, concerned with data and privacy it’s important for employers to think about the perception of data-driven strategies. Simply put, what does data gathering look like to employees?  

Gathering data, to improve wellbeing, needs to be clearly communicated and must be seen for what it is, not what it’s not. This may seem like common sense, but ambiguity and obscurity will only feed growing levels of scepticism and hinder employee engagement.  

That’s why clear communication, employee buy-in, and trust are essential ingredients in successful data-driven wellbeing strategies. Be clear about what’s being collected, why you’re collecting it, and how data will be used to help not hinder employees to thrive; both inside and outside of work.   

Conclusion 

Data driven wellbeing, done well, can transform workplaces and lives for the better, understanding the inextricable link that exists between what we do and how well we are. Put simply, good work is good for you and bad work isn’t.  

Using data can help C-suite leaders and those responsible for health, safety and wellbeing to accurately allocate resource, measure inputs and outcomes, and support their staff to thrive.  

Tomorrow’s world is a technological one and it will be driven by data. Employers who get behind data-driven strategies will reap the rewards, with early adopters leading the pack. Those who think this is just the latest fad risk being left behind, with their workers surviving, not thriving.  

If you’d like to talk to our Wellbeing Team about how you can make your workplace wellbeing offering more inclusive, you can contact them by email here: [email protected] or by phone: 0208 600 1000 

 

Matthew Winn, Public Affairs Manager, British Safety Council 

 

[i]Being Well in a Changing World

[ii]Burnout Britain: how can we reduce stress and put out the fire?