Discussing The 2012 Technology + Employee Wellness Survey


Rajiv Kumar, M.D.Founder & CEO, [email protected]

Today’s Presenters

Employee wellness company focused on creating a healthier world by using social influence to engage people in healthy activities


Fran MelmedOwner, [email protected]

Today’s Presenters

Award-winning communication and change management consulting firm that specializes in wellness and health care consumerism


Join The Conversation On Twitter

@shapeupdotcom

#wellnesstech


•Survey Overview

•Employee Use of Technology

•Employer Use of Technology

•What’s Working

•What’s Not Working

•The Secrets of Innovators

•Final Thoughts

Today’s Agenda


Why We Did This Survey


How are employers using technology to improve the health of their employees, and is it working?

• What technologies are they using?

• What are their objectives?

• Is senior leadership onboard?

• What are the pros and cons?

Questions We Sought To Answer


Who Took The Survey


351 Employers Participated


Majority of Participants Are Self-Funded


Participants Represented Many Industries


Most Common Job Titles of Participants


We asked respondents to identify where they would place their company in terms of its general technology adoption:

• Innovator –First to adopt technology

• Early adopter – Second fastest to adopt technology

• Early majority – Adopt after a varying degree of time

• Late majority – Adopt after the average company

• Laggard – Last to adopt technology

What Does Innovation Mean?


Were These Companies Innovators?


“We’re forward thinking and results-based. We like to use technology and options

available. From iPhone apps to advanced tracking devices, we offer an array of

products and services that are ‘technologically savvy.’”

Some Companies Are Innovators


“We’re a technology firm, and we see ourselves as an innovator when it comes

to the latest and greatest in creating and adopting new technologies. We encourage

our employees to come up with new ideas that will help us in this endeavor.”

Some Companies Are Innovators


“Our MS Office Suite is from 2003. IE Explorer is outdated by two iterations. Conference room setups are not Apple-compatible. Just developing a Facebook and Twitter presence

—very cautiously.”

Others Are Further Behind


“We’re a diverse company that tries to meet the technology needs of all of employees.

Therefore, we’re slower to introduce new technologies until we can determine how

we can introduce the technology while preserving non-technological employees’

ability to participate.”



“As a manufacturing company, we still have a lot of employees who (allegedly) don’t use computers, so we end up having to communicate things in various ways (hard

copy, email, website, etc).”



“We’ve been around 125 years and tend to be ingrained in how we’ve always done

things. This is changing now as our management is putting efforts into

improving our technology.”

Many Companies Are Trying To Change


Employee Use of Technology


Smartphone Ownership


Text Messaging Capabilities


Internet Access


Email Addresses


Tablet Computers


Social Media Usage


Social Networking Site Availability


Employer Use of Technology


Primary Goal of Health Communications


Technology Rules, But Print Holds Its Own


Segmentation For Health Communications


Overall Employer Technology Adoption


Example Fitness Tracking Devices


Example Competitions & Challenges


Examples of Mobile Solutions


Examples of Forums & Social Networks


Top Ways Employers Use Technologies


What Is Working?


Technology Helps Employers Reach Goals


“We increased health assessment participation by 15% by using direct email reminder approach. We

also increased participation in our lifestyle management programs by sending targeted emails

to employees that were eligible based on health assessment risks. We hope to increase our Weight Watchers At Work program participation with a new

platform that includes on-line registration.”

Increasing Employee Engagement


“Participation increased as resources became easier to access online. Our small staff was better able to

reach associates in off-site locations.”



“Our contests have been the most successful because our employees get competitive and we have

a higher participation rate than any other solution.”

“Health challenges... because it allows us to see results and motivate and encourage across all 14

locations.”

“Our first effort with a health challenge engaged a greater percentage of participants company-wide

than anything else we have done so far.”



“Utilizing apps on mobile devices. Our members can track what they in-taking as well as how they are

getting their activity in. This provides them with reminders to stay on track, keeps them honest with themselves, and let's them know where they stand.

Online postings and emails also work very well. Some members who would not have otherwise

gotten involved will do so after seeing the information.”



“Given that we are 55,000 employees across the US, we've used technology to reach employees

where, when, and how they need to access the information and during times that are convenient to

them.”

Engaging Hard-To-Reach Employees


“The Fitbit has helped many of our members, including myself, become more active and eat

healthier. Our Global Fitness Challenges have helped increase activity and have connected countries of

employees around the globe.”



“Our mobile apps have allowed us to reach different demographics and provide information

that normally may not have been captured.”



“We have recently set up all team members with a work email regardless of computer access so

that they can access their email from any computer, anywhere, any time. This will improve

communication efforts to get messaging out to those folks in the field that are hard to reach.”



“We have engaged in some testing of doing text messaging to reach folks and that has been a big

hit with our team members...Now that smart phones are getting more widespread we think that even with the hard to reach team members in the field, we will

be able to reach them through their smart phones.”



“Our leadership supports us being innovative and making educated decisions that will support /

drive our organizational growth. They also like being a trend setter and being on top of the latest

innovations.”

Increasing Senior Leadership Support


“Display benefits of improved health and how technology helps. Let [senior leadership] use

the technology to see how it works.”

Increasing Senior Leadership Support


“We have achieved a six figure ROI utilizing an online resource and pedometers in our annual 60

day physical activity challenge.”

Achieving Cost Savings


“The younger population is very tech savvy and more comfortable with online benefits. Tech makes things available to more employees in a more cost

effective way.”



"We've been able to show an increase in ROI, decrease in healthcare costs and absenteeism, and prove that our wellness program has been a huge benefit to employees. Overall employee morale

has also increased.”



What Is Not Working?


Staffing Challenges


“It starts at a lower level in having the staff to develop the programs. I believe we would have

senior leadership support, but problems exist in the shortage of staff to put the programs together

revolving around health and wellness.”

What Employers Said About Staffing


“We don't have a huge team and none of us are very technically savvy. We try to keep up with the latest trends, but can't always jump right on them.”

What Employers Said About Staffing


Ability To Measure Outcomes


“We are in the beginning stages of these technologies, so we really haven't measured

their success yet.”

“The majority of the dollars saved in a wellness program are soft dollar savings that can't be

measured.”

What Employers Said About Measurement


“Unfortunately the major barriers that inhibit progress are the leaders themselves. Mostly

older, unhealthy adults who do not see the value in evidence-based strategies because they do not

believe in anything that does not have a direct ROI, whereas health on average takes 2-5 years.”



“Lack of metrics to prove ROI, and lack of senior leadership being willing to properly fund our wellness programs. I am 3 years into the position as wellness specialist, and the company is still unwilling to fund

incentives for HRAs, nor money for biometric screenings. So, I can't even establish baseline data to begin the process of developing true ROI.”



Employee Access To Technology


“Print, face to face meetings work. Online and mobile technology are not widely being adopted

by a lot of our team members yet (blue collar manufacturing).”

What Employers Said About Access


“It seems to be more of an IT issue...We have been talking about having computers available in our

lunch rooms for employees to use on their breaks. This has been a discussion for approximately 10

years...I know senior leadership wants us to communicate, but we don't have the tools to

effectively communicate with a plant workforce who does not have access to e-mail at work.”

What Employers Said About Access


Technology Platforms


“We have many legacy systems in place.”

“We are still 98% paper-based. We collect all of our data from screenings, challenges, and events on

paper and enter the data as a second step.”

What Employers Said About Platforms


Cost


“Due to budgetary constraints, we often do not have the funding for the most advanced technology. Our organization is also of the mindset that we need

to do more with less.”

What Employers Said About Cost


“Senior leadership continue to focus on what the activities or programs will cost. Need to help

them to see ROI.”

What Employers Said About Cost


Vendor Quality


The Secrets of Innovators


Innovative Companies Have Innovative Leaders


Innovators Use More Technology


Innovators Engage Hard-to-Reach Employees


Our Final Thoughts


Health technologies are being used by many employers within their wellness programs

Competitions & social networks are most popular

Mobile apps & tracking devices are coming up

Measurement, cost, and employee access are major barriers to adoption

Innovative companies are using technology to solve some of their greatest health challenges

Key Insights & Takeaways

Discussing The 2012 Technology + Employee Wellness Survey

Technology

Transcript of Discussing The 2012 Technology + Employee Wellness Survey