hrtechoutlook
NOVEMBER 2022HR TECH OUTLOOK EUROPE8Well-being and productivity: a right mix of human and digital touchAt Allianz we want to serve our customers with the right mix of human and digital touch. Over the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic this and our working habits have changed forever. While our principle of the right balance between human and digital touch remains valid, both the human and the digital side have developed at an unexpected pace. This global paradigm shift around work propelled a new journey for organizations with the goal of reshaping individual, collective, and institutional dynamics to ensure business continuity and growth, while enhancing employee experience and well-being. When this transformation started back in 2020, it was difficult to foresee a concrete destination on the map and, although the route is clearer now, there are still big challenges to address. Take for instance both topics of well-being and the question of productivity in organizations. Well-being has become even more a priority, the importance of caring for mental health has grown exponentially. There is a considerable amount of research done about this topic suggesting a direct link between well-being and performance, showing that companies investing in mental health programs reach a 21% increase in high performers (Change Associates Report, 2022) and that 53% of employees are more likely to prioritize health and well-being over work than before the pandemic (Microsoft Work Trend Index, 2022). All the above has been a vital driver to enhance the human touch in HR products and services at Allianz. We decided to include "Health and Well-being" as one of the five pillars of our global minimum standards of our Allianz hybrid work model that has been implemented in all operational entities across the world. The reason behind this was to strengthen our responsibility and concrete actions that care for the right balance between life and work. Naturally we leveraged our existing products like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), available 24/7, to provide our employees with free professional mental health support. At this point 95% of the employees have used the service, finding it helpful for dealing with challenging situations around COVID-19 and family matters. The EAP also has an available extension in Germany through an app that enables further assistance for family members and customers. Our health and well-being products rely heavily on digital tools and platforms, an example of this is our Well Together app, an Allianz original launched in 2021, which encourages employees to participate in healthier Laura Marsi, Global Head of HR Strategy & Transformation, Allianz SEByLaura Marsi
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