Self-Tracking at Work – A HEALTHY Idea?
Introducing wearable devices can potentially be a game changer in creating happy, healthy and engaged employees. However, good intentions can go bad.
Introducing wearable devices can potentially be a game changer in creating happy, healthy and engaged employees. However, good intentions can go bad.
PhD Candidate Kateryna Maltseva and Dr. Christian Fieseler, Professor - BI Norwegian Business School
Enlisting employees as brand ambassadors is recognizably critical to an organization’s success. It is employees who have primary contact with customers and key stakeholders, and it is important those contacts are positive.
A study by global PR firm Weber Shandwick found that 50 percent of employees share their opinions on their company without any prompting.
One way to create happy, healthy and engaged employees has been through the use of corporate wellness programs (CWP) that include wearable technology such as Fitbit for tracking performance. Employees who participate in corporate wellness programs that encourage them to do more sports or to be more mindful feel more energetic and happier. Organizations also benefit as employees’ participation in such corporate wellness programs result in higher productivity, stronger corporate citizenship, and fewer costs associated with healthcare expenses.
However, as an old saying warns us - “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
Organizations increasingly long to build healthier, more mindful, and more productive teams, and employ wearable technologies (e.g., Fitbit) and self-tracking applications (e.g., Endomondo, Runtastic) to this end. But if not implemented well, these so-called corporate wellness programs may create additional pressure on employees.
Organizations tend to design corporate wellness programs around wearable devices and wearable technologies. For example, British Petroleum has a comprehensive wellness pro- gram that encourages employees to register their step count, earn points, and use them to win different rewards such as medical premiums and gift cards.
The notion of implementing wearables and self-tracking applications in an organization is quite new. We have only begun to collect evidence of the effectiveness of wearables-driven CWPs. Findings suggest optimism and caution at the same time.
Some positive effects associated with using wearables in CWPs are:
However, there are certain concerns that employees may express when asked to join a CWP. Among these concerns are:
If you decide to introduce self-tracking mobile applications or wearable devices into your CWP, here are some recommendations that can help you do it effectively.
Introducing wearable devices or mobile applications into a CWP can potentially be a game changer in fighting absenteeism or facilitating brand ambassadorship among employees. In order to utilize the potential of self-tracking technologies in CWP make sure that you are inclusive and respectful in your CWP design.