Hillewaere Group goes all out for data-driven wellbeing management
Hillewaere Group focuses on client advice in wealth management and security. This rapidly growing organisation attaches great value to the individuality of each office, but also to the overall well-being of all its employees. Actually, this is a top priority. For an effective approach to employee well-being, the group joined hands with AG Health Partner.
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The request
Due to acquisitions, the staff had grown to as many as 200 employees. The group recently started preparing and planning for a strategic wellbeing policy for everyone. For the roll-out, i.e., the action plan, the organisation wanted to rely on recent, accurate data on the overall wellbeing level. But what data did Hillewaere Group need to obtain? And how could it strive for the highest possible response rate so that the data obtained were as relevant as possible?
The cooperation in a nutshell
Hillewaere Group had always cared for its employees, but its efforts remained isolated initiatives for a long time. To provide staff with sustainable support, the organisation joined forces with AG Health Partner. We conducted a jointly created wellbeing survey from A to Z. The result of this data-driven approach? An organisation-wide report with valuable data, separate reporting for the different offices and an individual and confidential report for each employee.
The story
Hillewaere Group was not on its trial run on the employee wellbeing front. The organisation had already launched some separate welfare initiatives in the past, but they were usually quickly forgotten. Because it grew rapidly within a very short period, it wanted to draw up a strategic action plan around wellbeing. This had to be based on data from within the group itself, however. Hillewaere Group believed that it could really invest in its people in a sustainable manner, within each wellbeing domain. So, it was clear from the outset that wellbeing of the employees was not a compulsory task.
History has taught us that isolated initiatives peter out quickly. That is why we have changed tack: we want to create long-term positive impact and look at ways of incentivising projects.
Nancy Van Cauwenbergh
This vision naturally dovetails seamlessly with the holistic approach within AG Health Partner. And that entails more than just the fact that we focus on all facets of wellbeing. For our wellbeing survey (My WellRi), for instance, we do not limit ourselves to the legally required five Ws — work(ing) organisation, content, environment, conditions, and relations. Our survey is based on a unique, evidence-based wellbeing model so that we delve broader and deeper into the current needs and expectations. It was also confirmed at Hillewaere Group that our approach is an opportunity to map the wellbeing of the organisation, management, and staff. The results of this baseline measurement always serve as the starting point for targeted actions and efforts.
My WellRi surveys an employee's wellbeing not only within the professional but also within the personal context. Just think about sleep quality, nutrition, self-confidence, and all kinds of information that could also be useful for Hillewaere Group. There was no shortage of valuable insights: the response rate to the survey was no less than 85%!
In rolling out our wellbeing policy, we wanted to avoid appearing patronising or pedantic. It needs to be a two-way effort, or you won’t have enough impact.
Nancy Van Cauwenbergh
To what do we owe this? First and foremost, the reason why Hillewaere Group conducted this survey was communicated in clear terms. Employees were clearly informed about what would be done with the results, and what follow-up steps would be taken. The overall priorities that emerged from the My WellRi were the need to disconnect, reduce the workload, and focus more on physical health. Another huge motivator was the individual report that employees would receive. This contained bespoke recommendations that they could start working on immediately. Because even though Hillewaere Group obviously plays a facilitating role, the wellbeing of an organisation is a shared responsibility.
Once the general results of the wellbeing survey were shared, a separate team of employees and managers was formed to act as the wellbeing ambassadors. They are to manage actively the implementation of the priorities within a strategic wellbeing policy. The team visited all offices with their own branded team bus to announce the results, but also to highlight the launch of its own, brand-new learning management system. This could only benefit the personal development of the employees.
From preparation and drafting of the survey to coordination with the digital team, reporting and guidance on using the dashboard, AG Health Partner took care of everything. The dashboard with the results and recommendations remains accessible, by the way. We continue to monitor all wellbeing efforts actively, through our own ecosystem of wellbeing partners, without Hillewaere Group having to search for them on its own.
Hillewaere Group and AG Health Partner will continue to work together in the future. We will develop jointly a multi-year action plan around wellbeing. So stay tuned!