Embracing Change: The Urgent Need For Modern Wellbeing Tools

Keywords: Change, Assessment Tools, Mental Health

Author: Lisa Munro

Date: 1 November 2023, Worklife Digital

In today's rapidly changing and unpredictable business landscape, senior leaders and HR directors face a growing challenge: how to support the wellbeing of their employees in a brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible (BANI) world. Traditional wellbeing tools are increasingly proving inadequate in addressing the unique stressors of this new era. It's time for organisations to recognise the urgency of modernising their approach to wellbeing in the workplace.

Thriving (healthy) employees create healthy stakeholder relationships and build healthy organisations.

Thriving employees impact the bottom line considerably: they impact brand, help the organisation become a talent magnet, build resilient processes, secure the sustainability of the organisation's income, or respond to growth opportunities in the market. Achieving psychological wellbeing is the foundation of all sustainable behaviour in organisations.

The BANI world is marked by constant disruption, technological advancements, and a globalised marketplace. Employees are confronted with a relentless pace of change, and this takes a toll on their mental health. The traditional workplace approaches, such as stress apps, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), and once-a-year wellness fairs, are no longer sufficient. Here's why:

Real-time Support: Traditional tools tend to be reactive, offering assistance after an issue has escalated. In a BANI world, organisations need to provide real-time support to address stressors before they emerge.

Remote Work Challenges: The shift to remote work has created a host of new mental health challenges, such as isolation, blurred work-life boundaries, and digital burnout. Modern mental wellbeing tools must address these challenges.

Personalisation: Traditional tools often employ a one-size-fits-all approach. In contrast, modern tools can leverage data and analytics to offer personalised support tailored to each employee's unique needs. This personalisation is crucial in a BANI world, where everyone faces different challenges.

Cultural Sensitivity: As organisations become more diverse and inclusive, it's imperative that mental wellbeing tools acknowledge and address the specific cultural and social dynamics that may impact an employee's mental health. This ensures that everyone feels supported and understood.

Resilience Building: In a BANI world, the focus should shift from merely addressing issues to proactively building resilience. Modern tools can incorporate resilience training, stress management workshops, and mental health coaching to help employees thrive in uncertain times.

Data-Driven Insights: Traditional tools often lack the ability to collect and analyse data to assess the effectiveness of mental wellbeing initiatives. Providing actionable insights through data analytics helps organisations continuously improve their programs and strategies.

Additionally, it's important to recognise that traditional psychometric assessment tools, which have been a cornerstone of HR practices for years, are also showing their age in this BANI world. These tools often rely on static measures of personality traits and cognitive abilities that may not capture the dynamic nature of modern work environments. In a world where adaptability and quick decision-making are key, traditional psychometric assessments can fall short in providing the insights needed to identify and support employees effectively.

The BANI world is here and prioritising psychological wellbeing is a strategic investment for organisations who want to address economic, social and environmental challenges in a sustainable manner. Embracing modern mental wellbeing tools and re-evaluating the relevance of outdated psychometric assessments is a vital step. In doing so, senior leaders and HR directors can not only nurture a healthier, happier workforce but also drive productivity, engagement, and innovation in the face of constant change. This proactive approach is not just about doing what is right but also what is economically prudent.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital