Tech-enabled well-being: Understanding and overcoming common engagement roadblocks

Modern technology has created a number of significant barriers to improving personal well-being. The omnipresence of screens in everyday life has been linked to lower psychological well-being, and social media use is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety, body image issues, and more.  Yet, advancing technology is also providing tools that, with thoughtful implementation, can help employers provide the kind of comprehensive well-being support that will allow them to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, increase productivity, and even improve employee retention.

To do this, HR teams must first be aware of potential roadblocks that can prevent employees from engaging in the initiatives that they have worked hard to develop. These challenges include:

• Lack of access to mental health support
• Difficulties recognizing or addressing substance use issues
• Lack of understanding about caregiving challenges
• Lack of nutrition education
• Difficulty sustaining healthy habits

Use technology to preemptively manage roadblocks
Emerging and evolving technology, from the nearly ubiquitous use of cell phones to the growth of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, can help employers and benefits professionals manage engagement challenges. Because, while the always-on nature of modern technology has the potential to harm employee well-being, it also ensures users have on-demand access to expert advice, instruction, and more — all on their own schedule and with content that matches their interests, their specific needs, and their unique ability levels. There is compelling evidence that tech-enabled well-being should become a go-to strategy for HR teams because, for starters, most employees already use technology as a key component of their well-being practices. 

Read more:  40% of Gen Z has been bullied during their RTO experience

Here are four ways employers can use technology to enhance employee well-being. 

1. Increase mental health accessibility
Mental health has become less of a taboo topic in recent years, but while employees may be more willing to discuss the topic, access to care remains a challenge. As a result, even employees interested in seeking mental health care may have trouble finding the support they need. And, even when help is available, nearly three quarters of Americans mistakenly believe those services are not available to everyone, which may prevent them from seeking help. 

Technology can help by delivering tools like virtual reality and artificial intelligence-powered chatbots that enable access to care when there are no in-person appointments available near an employee. Employers can also leverage  personal technology such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to deliver on-demand content in a variety of formats, on topics including mental health, resilience and mindfulness, relationships and communication, or managing the stressors of caregiving. This gives employees reliable information they can access in the privacy of their homes and on their own schedule, along with support that may help them identify and overcome mental health challenges or that can help them recognize that they need additional assistance. 

Read more:  64% of employees no longer trust their companies after mass layoffs

2. Demystify substance use 
One of the biggest challenges to addressing substance use is that people often do not recognize when they or others around them need help. It's common to only recognize individuals who are at the high end of the substance use spectrum as needing support, but this mindset doesn't account for individuals who use alcohol daily, show up to work hungover, or binge drink on the weekends. With marijuana now legal in much of the country, a similar situation may soon occur with this form of substance use. Yet, as recently as 2021, only 6% of people 12 or older with a substance use disorder received any treatment. Technology can help change the conversation by increasing access to evaluation tools and treatment. Computer-assisted behavior therapies make it easier to  find support, and virtual companions can provide an immersive experience backed by medical professionals. Employers should offer tools to help employees understand their own substance use and evidence-based therapeutic approaches that help them take control. 

When these tools are available around the clock, users can begin addressing their relationship with substances whenever it is most convenient for them. This is particularly important because it means people can seek support when they most feel the need, rather than being forced to wait, creating a delay during which they may change their mind about seeking help. This provides an entryway to support for those who want to change their relationship with substances wherever they fall on the use spectrum. 

3. Equip caregivers for success
Serving as a family caregiver can be exhausting and overwhelming, whether you're caring for children or looking after an aging loved one or an ailing partner. And while the vast majority of caregivers find their role rewarding, the long hours and the fact that many caregivers receive little to no training or education for the care they're providing make the job emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing. In fact, more than half of working caregivers say the emotional stress of balancing work and caregiving is one of their biggest challenges. This challenge is great enough that more than 40% of working caregivers have had to reduce their hours or go part time to make that balance work, and nearly 20% have had to leave the workforce altogether. 

Technology is easing some of that burden, as the growth of telehealth is mitigating the need to arrange transport or take time off to travel to doctor visits. Meanwhile, the technology that supports remote work frees many caregivers to work from home when a child is sick or from a loved one's home when they need additional support. On-demand technology also makes it easier for caregivers to get strategies and solutions that help them feel more comfortable in their role. Employers can help reduce the amount of time navigating caregiving responsibilities by connecting them to expert advisors who can give advice in specific areas of caregiving, direct users to additional resources, help complete complex healthcare forms, or review housing, healthcare, or other documentation. By offering real-time access to strategies and solutions for caregivers' everyday needs, employers can help working caregivers feel more confident about the care they're providing, which reduces stress. 

Read more:  Not getting better: 87% of employees are struggling with mental health challenges

4. Encourage physical activity for all 
Technology is changing the way people manage their physical well-being. Where lack of time and costly gym memberships once created a significant barrier to better physical fitness, the growth of on-demand, virtual solutions means that users no longer need to plan their day around gym visits or pay extra for the expert instruction that might otherwise be lacking in home workouts. With expert-led classes that users can access on their own time, technology-enabled fitness solutions allow users to take control of their physical well-being, while employers benefit from the positive effects that activity and movement have on mental performance and overall health. 

Whether that means a stretching break during the workday or a high-intensity workout after the kids have gone to bed, offering fitness options that fit a user's schedule makes it easier for them to embrace healthier habits. Additionally, technology is making it easier to deliver expert guidance on nutrition and highlight the fact that what we eat affects everything from body shape to our ability to manage chronic conditions. People are increasingly turning to online videos or tutorials to step up their cooking skills, and the increase is even greater among Generation X and baby boomers. Giving employees access to these important insights and virtual resources can help them use their diets to boost their well-being. 

Technology continues to evolve, for better and for worse. And while modern technology can create barriers to well-being, the growing sophistication of technology has also created tremendous opportunities to address employees' evolving wellness needs. Ultimately, employers who identify the right tools for helping their employees manage well-being will put themselves at a significant advantage for creating a productive workforce.