Advocate | Winter 2014

advocate the magazine from the uk’s leading employee benefits advisory

visit us on your smartphone advogroup.co.uk

WINTER 2014 | ISSUE#12 | ADVOGROUP.CO.UK

advo group the latest award accolade at the 2014 health insurance awards page 06

cmi ann francke on the research that warns against ‘myopic management’ page 26 cover feature

babylon dr. ali parsa on the revolutionary new health app

“The ultimate ambition of Babylon is to move healthcare from a reactive model to a proactive one” page 10

advogroup.co.uk | what’s inside issue #12

“ what’s inside issue #12 ”

In our cover feature we gain a fascinating insight into a recent study commissioned by AAT which discovered that most employees prioritise a range of elements over salary concerns

Welcome to the Winter 2014 edition of Advocate magazine, the quarterly digital publication from ADVO Group, one of the UK’s leading employee benefits consultancy.

As usual we have a selection of compelling interviews this month. In our cover feature we gain a fascinating insight into the revolutionary new healthcare app, ‘Babylon’, with founder Dr. Ali Parsa.

more than 2 million retirees are unable to now find suitable work, how obese Brits are often in denial about their weight and the various muscoskeletal problems than can be caused by our daily commutes into work.

We are also bringing you the latest ADVO news including our fantastic win at the 2014 Health Insurance Awards for the catagory of Best Group International Medical Insurance Intermediary, and winning the We are also featuring two further title of ‘highly commended’ exclusive interviews, with Alex for the category of Employee Bryson of Niesr and Ann Francke Benefits Intermediary of the Year of the Chartered Management at the 2014 Cover Excellence Institute.

Awards.

We are also looking at a range of Advocate magazine will be back other human resource and health again in the Spring. stories such as how business leaders are failing those with mental health conditions, how

meet the team at advo group

For more information visit www.advogroup.co.uk

larry bulmer chief executive

colin boxall commercial director

chris mc cracken director

kevin crew it director

gill mateo operations director

Larry Founded ADVO Group in 1997 and remains fully involved in the dayto-day running of the business

Colin joined ADVO Group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty years employee benefits experience.

Chris joined the main ADVO board in 2008 having previously worked in wider financial services.

Kevin oversees our award winning online service and is further developing staff and flex- benefit platforms.

Gill joined ADVO in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013. Gill has oversight of all ADVO Systems and procedures.

lbulmer @advogroup.co.uk

cboxall @advogroup.co.uk

cmccracken @advogroup.co.uk

advocate winter 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 02

kcrew @advogroup.co.uk

gmateo @advogroup.co.uk

advogroup.co.uk | who we are

who we are and what we do...

Advocate Magazine is produced by ADVO Group and published quarterly.

For general information, and/or to join our online HR community, please follow http://issuu.com/advogroup

ADVO Group Ltd is an independent employee benefits Speak to ADVO for any specific query concerning: advisory with a broad-based clientele. Our objective is to be seen as the UK’s most trusted adviser on employee benefits • UK & International Private Medical Insurance and online management.

• Online multi policy management • Total Reward Statements and Flex Benefits ADVO can test prospective clients’ arrangements against • Cash Plans our connectedhealthTM benefit benchmark. Please be in • UK & International Group Life & Dependents touch for further details. cover • UK & International Group Income Protection We also offer a bespoke interactive online system for multi • UK & International Group Critical Illness cover policy management and amendments. Employees can • Dental & Optical cover also be given access to their personal benefit details, Total • Health Screening Rewards and Flex Benefits and Total Rewards.

• Staff Wellness • Occupational Health sourcing Please follow http://soc.advogroup.co.uk for more information.

T: 0845 2578833 F: 01622 769211 E: info@advogroup.co.uk

advocate winter 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 03

advogroup.co.uk | contents

CONTENTS ISSUE #12 | winter 2014 advo news Page 06

|

ADVO Group winners at the 2014 Health Insurance Awards

Page 10

|

ADVO Group at the Cover Excellence Awards 2014 ADVO Group were recently awarded the accolade of ‘highly commended’ for the category of ‘Employee Benefits Intermediary of the Year’ at the 2014 Cover Excellence Awards.

interviews Page 10

|

Page 18

|

Page 26

|

ADVO Group are delighted to have been awarded the title of ‘Best Group International Private Medical Insurance Intermediary’ at the recent 2014 ‘Health Insurance Awards’.

Dr. Ali Parsa, Babylon We talk to Dr. Ali Parsa, founder of revolutionary healthcare app, ‘Babylon’.

Alex Bryson, Niesr

In this interview Alex Bryson discusses the NIESR’s recent research which looked at the relationship between job satisfaction and workplace performance.

advo group at the 20 insurance awards page 06

Ann Francke, CMI

We discuss the findings of the CMI’s latest report with Ann Francke to highlight the implications for business and government and the valuable new benchmarking tool.

human resources Page 22

|

Business leaders are failing those with mental health conditions

Page 24

|

Failing to connect customer experience with employee engagement

Page 30

|

health

Mental health prejudice still exists in UK business and those at the top of the country’s largest organisations are not doing enough to tackle the problem according to a new study from Bupa.

Despite customer experience (CX) and employee engagement (EE) regularly leading lists of CEO priorities, nearly two thirds (64%) of organisations are failing to integrate feedback across the two areas, according to research carried

by QuestBack.

The do’s and dont’s of the office Christmas party

An Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) survey of UK managers and workers has revealed which misdemeanours at the Christmas party could cause you unease when you get back into the office

Page 14

|

Obese Brits in denial about their weight

Page 16

|

Brits say commuting is a pain in the neck, back, hips and knees

A majority of obese people in Britain would not describe themselves as “obese”, and many would not even describe themselves as “very overweight”, according to a Cancer Research UK study One fifth (19%) of the UK’s workforce say their journey to and from work is leaving them with neck, back and muscle pain.

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 04

an interview with ann francke, cmi page 26

014 health

advogroup.co.uk | contents

an interview with alex bryson, niesr page 18

the pains of commuting page 16

business leaders failing those with mental health conditions page 22 advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 05

From left to right: ADVO’s Nadiya Hasan, Lucy Irvine & Colin Boxall

advogroup.co.uk |advo group at the 2014 health insurance awards

advo winners at the 2014 health insurance awards www.advogroup.co.uk ADVO Group are delighted to have been awarded the title of ‘Best Group International Private Medical Insurance Intermediary’ at the recent 2014 ‘Health Insurance Awards’. The annual Health Insurance Awards are one of the most revered ceremonies in the insurance industry, celebrating the achievements of both intermediaries, as well as providers.

This year’s award ceremony, taking place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London, on the 16th October, was attended by approximately 900 guests and boasted a record number of both award entries and votes cast.

Renowned comedian and television personality Russell Kane proved to be an incredibly popular host for the event, entertaining the crowd before announcing this year’s award winners alongside Health Insurance Daily editor, David Sawers.

The award evening also saw an array of football themed entertainment, in addition to a Twitter feed showing the live social media activity and buzz around the event.

ADVO Group’s Commercial Director,

Colin Boxall, commented on the success of the ceremony “International private medical insurance is becoming an increasingly vital benefit for today’s workforce. I believe it’s an area that we’ve started to build a strong reputation for having real expertise in, and to be recognised as such at this year’s Health Insurance Awards is truly fantastic”.

“

I believe it’s an area that we’ve started to build a strong reputation for having real expertise in

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 06

”

The Health Insurance Awards also commented on ADVO’s win, emphasising the customer focused approach that ADVO have become known for;

“Another hotly contested category, the judges said, but the ‘intense focus’ on the end customer within a solid corporate arrangement caught their eye here. A personal ‘can-do’ approach complemented a ‘total customer focus’”.

For all the latest news on ADVO Group, from award nominations to new product launches visit the official online news area at news.advogroup.co.uk.

advogroup.co.uk | advo group at the 2014 health insurance awards

ADVO at the 2014 Health Insurance Awards

The evening’s host, Russell Kane

ADVO celebrates alongside the evening’s other award winners

ADVO’s Nadiya Hasan and Emma Shaw

The award ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel

ADVO’s Colin Boxall (centre) with host & comedian Russell Kane (right)

ADVO’s Lucy Irvine and Lucy Sutton

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 07

advogroup.co.uk |advo | businesses group at warned the 2014 to take cover a closer excellence look awards at employee eye health

advo ‘highly commended’ at the 2014 cover excellence awards www.advogroup.co.uk ADVO Group were recently awarded the accolade of ‘highly commended’ for the category of ‘Employee Benefits Intermediary of the Year’ at the 2014 Cover Excellence Awards. This year’s event, which took place on the 2nd October at the Victoria Park Plaza, London, showed why the Cover Excellence Awards are one of the most significant and most highly anticipated award ceremonies in the health and protection industries.

A selection of expert judges where chosen to determine the winners for each category from the shortlists.

Included on the judging panel was Wayne Pontin, Chairman, Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII).

ADVO Group were delighted to have been presented the title of ‘Highly Commended’ for the award category of ‘Employee Benefits Intermediary of the Year’. The title itself was presented to ADVO’s Commercial Director, Colin Boxall, by Gareth Chilcott, ex-England & Bath Rugby Union player.

Colin Boxall commented upon

receiving the accolade on behalf of ADVO Group, ‘To be not only a finalist but ‘Highly Commended’ in such a major category is a fantastic achievement and testament to our focus in having great people backed up by technology”.

“

To be not only be a finalist but ‘Highly Commended’ in such a major category is a fantastic

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 08

achievement

”

Winning the highly commended title at the Cover Excellence Awards was also celebrated alongside winning the award category of ‘Best Group International Private Medical Insurance Intermediary’ at the recent 2014 ‘Health Insurance Awards’.

To stay up do date with the latest award news, as well as wider ADVO news and the latest HR and occupational health stories, be sure to subscribe to ADVO Group’s news feed at news.advogroup.co.uk.

advo group are fully independent, private medical insurance experts speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | INTERVIEW WITH ALI PARSA

“

The ultimate ambition of Babylon is to move healthcare from a reactive model to a proactive one

DR ALI PARSA CEO BABYLON

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 10

”

advogroup.co.uk | INTERVIEW WITH ALI PARSA

“

Throughout the world access to healthcare is becoming more of a problem, while access to almost every other service is becoming freer, faster, and more convenient DR ALI PARSA, CEO, BABYLON www.BABYLONHEALTH.COM

”

babylon is an innovative healthcare app that enables users to make an appointment with a consultant in seconds, have that appointment within minutes, and collect relevant prescriptions within an hour. It delivers most of the healthcare that most people need right to the handheld device of the user and can be used anywhere, at any time. Within the app users have constant access to their medical records, can view video recordings of their consultations, and can ask simple questions of trained professionals using the in-app messaging service Ask a Question. babylon is the first organisation of its kind to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and have designated body status from NHS England.

We talked to founder and CEO, Dr. Ali Parsa, who created the company in 2012 after building Circle, Europe’s largest partnership of Clinicians.

What initially gave you the idea for the Babylon App?

“Throughout the world access to healthcare is becoming more of a problem, while access to almost every other service is becoming freer, faster, and more convenient. People are busier than they have ever been and so the cost of taking time out of work to address basic medical needs is higher.

I asked myself, what if I could make booking an appointment as easy as booking a cab? What if I could bring about the same advances in access to healthcare that have already been brought to so many other areas of our lives?”

What do you think is the single biggest benefit of having such

an array of healthcare features instantly accessible via a smartphone app?

“The ultimate ambition of Babylon is to move healthcare from a reactive model to a proactive one. We are used to dealing with our health like we used to deal with cars; we’d wait until they broke down and then took them to the mechanics. Now cars have sensors all over them so it doesn’t matter what’s going wrong, we know ahead of time.

We are on the brink of doing that with human beings — we already do it with professional athletes. So much of the cost of healthcare is because we deal with our body the way we used to deal with our cars.”

Do you think the need for people

to be able to access important information in such an immediate way, as they can with this app, will continue to increase?

“The vast majority of our interactions with healthcare have very little to do with hospitals, they are mostly simple consultations and diagnostics.

Most medicine is conversation and diagnosis. When we get that in the most arcane manner, with phone calls, then having to take half a day off, which is inconvenient, expensive and difficult, will be a thing of the past. As access becomes easier the cost of that access will become less, and individuals will most likely use it more.”

Which element of the healthcare system embodied in the Babylon

advocate advocateWINTER spring 2014 2013 | advogroup.co.uk | 11 55

advogroup.co.uk | INTERVIEW WITH joe wiggins

“

The vast majority of our interactions with healthcare have very little to do with hospitals, they are mostly simple consultations and diagnostics

app do you think most seamlessly lent itself to this new digital platform?

”

think has really caught the attention “In addition to providing consultations, of the media in this way? there is also a function called Monitor in the works, which allows patients “It’s the worlds first integrated to keep track of their vitals including “Most of the elements used are familiar healthcare system. Our current system activity, calories and sleep, as well as to us. We have seen video calls before, is inconvenient and expensive. But looking at the relevant metrics related we have all booked something via our phones are very, very powerful.” to bones, kidney and liver function and smartphones, be it a cinema ticket or hormones. a cab. These were the most obvious As well as the benefit of convenience If we can see you are stressed, with factors to include.” in accessing the expertise of a higher blood pressure and cholesterol, healthcare professional in this way, clinically we can intervene. At launch Tell us some more about the GP do you think there is also perhaps Monitor will synchronise with 100 team and Clinicians you have a further additional benefit in different devices, such as activity working in conjunction with the potentially reducing the time taken trackers and smart scales. It’s all app? for diagnosis and treatments for integrated into a single system. conditions where this factor can babylon will be able to send some “All of our GPs have full GMC make a real difference? diagnostic tests to your home — registration and have extensive post for example, you might receive a qualification experience. Our GPs “This is what I mean by moving cholesterol blood test in the post that are recruited for their passion for healthcare from reactive to proactive. lets you prick your finger to extract delivering outstanding service, their The more people are able to answer some droplets. This can then be sent excellent communication skills and their healthcare questions immediately back for analysis and the app will their interest in the evolving role of the more hope they have of remaining be updated for a cost of a couple of technology in healthcare. Users can healthy. We all know someone who pounds every time you need it.” rate the doctors after each video has left a diagnosis to the last minute consultation – and consistently below- because they were too busy to take How can people find out more about par scores will see professionals struck time out to see a doctor, and been the app and its features? off babylon’s records.” told “If we’d caught this earlier, things would have been different.”

“People can visit our website: The Babylon app seems to have babylonhealth.com, or they can received a great deal of attention Are there any upcoming planned download the app for free direct to from the press including The BBC developments or new additions for their apple or android device.” and some major newspaper titles. the App platform?

What is it about the app that you

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 12

discover how working with advo improves employee engagement speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | britain’s walking or obese cycling in denial to work about improves their weight wellbeing

the majority of obese brits would not describe themselves as “obese” according to latest research study from cancer research uk www.cancerresearchuk.org A majority of obese people in Britain would not describe themselves as “obese”, and many would not even describe themselves as “very overweight”, according to a Cancer Research UK study published in BMJ Open. In one of the first studies of its kind to examine British perceptions of obesity, fewer than 10 per cent of those who are clinically obese accept they have a serious weight problem.

In a 2012 survey of around 2000 adults, only 11 per cent of obese women accurately acknowledged they were “obese”, with most describing themselves as “very overweight” or “just right”.

campaigns aimed at improving public awareness.

Around 18,000 cases of cancer in the UK each year are linked to being overweight or obese. Excess weight is “The term ‘obese’ is often considered known to increase the risk of several derogatory, which may be why so many types of cancer including cancers of people reject it. Mass media often the breast in post-menopausal women, illustrate obesity in a way that people bowel, womb, oesophagus, pancreas, And among men, only seven per cent find offensive, with pictures of bulging kidney and gallbladder. correctly described themselves as beer bellies and huge behinds, so being “obese” and another 16 per cent people shy away from these images.

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s as “very overweight”. head of health information, said: “But we also asked people whether “This study provides an interesting Approximately 10 per cent of people in they felt they were “very overweight” insight into how people who are the survey knew the BMI threshold for and the majority of those who were overweight view themselves. Carrying obesity and those who did were more obese did not accept this term either. those extra pounds can have serious likely to define themselves as “obese”. This is a real problem, as it means they health implications. Fat cells are are unlikely to identify with health active, releasing hormones and other Researchers suggest that as bigger messages on the subject of weight. chemicals that affect many parts of the sizes become the new “normal”, people body, and increase the risk of cancer. are less likely to recognise the health “We need to establish better ways for problems associated with their weight. health professionals to address this “Maintaining a healthy body weight sensitive subject and communicate is one of the most important ways of Professor Jane Wardle, co-author and with people whose health would reducing the risk of cancer, for both director of the Cancer Research UK benefit from positive lifestyle changes.” men and women. It’s so important Health Behaviour Centre at UCL (link that health messaging and awareness is external), said: “It’s a real worry campaigns are as effective as possible that people don’t recognise that their in supporting people of all shapes and weight places them in the obese sizes to make healthy choices.” category, because it means they aren’t aware they are at increased risk of a For the latest health news visit and number of health problems including subscribe to ADVO’s news feed at cancer. news.advogroup.co.uk.

“

“This is despite increased media coverage of obesity, and public health

We need to establish better ways for health professionals to address this sensitive subject

”

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 14

advogroup.co.uk | britain’s obese in denial about their weight

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 15

advogroup.co.uk | COMMuting is a pain in the neck, back, hips & knees

BRITS SAY COMMUTING IS A PAIN IN THE NECK, BACK, HIP & KNEES www.bupa.com One fifth (19%) of the UK’s workforce say their journey to and from work is leaving them with neck, back and muscle pain. A study from Bupa, found those who travel by car are most likely to be affected, with two thirds (64%) of drivers claiming their commute leaves them feeling uncomfortable – compared to 11% on the bus and 5% on the train. Cyclists and runners are among those least likely to feel any back or joint pain, with only 6% and 5% respectively saying they do. This clearly demonstrates that incorporating some physical exercise into your day can support good bone, joint and muscle health.

London commuters have it worst

commute has got more crowded over the last two years, with one in eight (12%) commuters in the UK believing if they had more space they’d suffer less joint pain.

Three quarters (73%) of commuters in the capital feel that their commute contributes to aches and pains and more than half (59%) claim more room would mean they suffer less.

However, of those who suffer from back and joint pain, almost half (48%) Meanwhile, 16% of people say their don’t consider their posture when

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 16

commuting and only a fifth (21%) make a conscious effort to stretch their back or legs whilst on their journey.

Katherine Cran, Physiotherapist at Bupa’s Basinghall Clinic said:

“Commuting to and from work every day can have a profound effect on the

advogroup.co.uk | COMMuting is a pain in the neck, back, hips & knees day.

In 2013, 31 million working days were lost due to back, neck and muscle pains – in fact, more days were lost to musculoskeletal problems than any other cause.

Katherine Cran offers advice for managing joint and muscle pain on your commute:

1. Movement is medicine:

Try to increase the amount of physical activity you do whether its during your commute, or by incorporating it into your day – this could include cycling to work once week or walking around the block at lunchtimes;

2. Drive comfortably:

Drivers need to make sure they sit in a comfortable position that’s right for them – adjust your seat, back support and steering wheel to avoid leaning too far back or having to stretch to reach the wheel or pedals.

You should also avoid placing pressure behind your knees;

3. Avoid prolonged sitting:

Whether it’s on your commute or in the workplace, try a mixture of standing and sitting: In the office, stand while taking phone calls, or suggest standing or walking meetings to help you move more during the day; While commuting, try to adopt a range of comfortable positions – even good posture held for too long can be detrimental;

4. Hop off earlier:

body. Over time and without the right care, this can lead to long term joint and muscle damage.

“I often see people with back and joint pain who sit all day at work and tend to sit or stand throughout their commute too. Incorporating physical exercise into your day, checking your posture and doing a few simple exercises can help make a real difference.”

“

Incorporating physical exercise into

your day, checking your posture and doing a few simple exercises can help make a real difference

”

The study also found the average worker sits or stands in the same position for three and a half hours a day, showing the lack of movement employees have during the working

One of the easiest ways to make a significant difference when commuting is to get off one or two stops earlier to increase your physical activity;

5. Simple exercises:

Help keep your joints mobile and prevent stiffness by doing some simple exercises and stretches such as gently rotating your ankles, lifting your knees, extending your legs and rolling your shoulders.

For the latest health news visit and subscribe to ADVO Group’s news feed at news.advogroup.co.uk.

advocate advocateautumn WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 27 17

advogroup.co.uk | INTERVIEW WITH ALEX alex BRYSON bryson

“

I was surprised at the link between job satisfaction and workplace performance: I didn’t expect it to be quite so clean and quite so robust

alex bryson babylon

”

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 18

“

advogroup.co.uk | interview with aLEX alex BRYSON bryson

those workplaces with rising employee job satisfaction also experienced improvements in workplace performance ALEX BRYSON, NIESR niesr.ac.uk

”

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) is an independent research institute which aims to promote, through quantitative and qualitative research, a deeper understanding of the interaction of economic and social forces that affect people’s lives, and the ways in which policies can improve them. Alex Bryson is Head of the Employment Group at NIESR. His research focuses on employment relations, labour economics and programme evaluation. In our latest interview Alex discusses the NIESR’s recent research, commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, which looked at the relationship between job satisfaction and workplace performance.

Tell us some more about the research

Our study for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is the first such study for Britain. Analysing the nationally representative 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) we found those workplaces with rising employee job satisfaction also experienced improvements in workplace performance, while deteriorating employee job satisfaction is detrimental to workplace performance. Employee job satisfaction was found to be positively associated with workplace financial performance, labour productivity, the quality of output and service and an additive scale combining all three aspects of performance. Workplaces experiencing an improvement in non-pecuniary job satisfaction – whether measured in terms of the average level of satisfaction in the workforce, or measured in terms of an increase in the proportion “very satisfied” or a reduction in the proportion “very

dissatisfied” – also experience an improvement in performance.

By contrast, there was no robust association between job-related affect and workplace performance, nor pay satisfaction and workplace performance.

These findings are consistent with the proposition that employers who are able to raise employees’ job satisfaction may see improvements in workplace profitability (financial performance), labour productivity and the quality of output or service.

Although we cannot state definitively that the link between increasing job satisfaction and improved workplace performance is causal, the findings are robust to tests for reverse causation and persist within workplaces over time, so that we can discount the possibility that the results are driven by fixed unobservable differences between workplaces. There is therefore a prima facie case for employers to consider investing in the wellbeing of their employees on the basis of the likely performance benefits.

Were you surprised that increasing

pay satisfaction was not positively associated with performance measures?

First I was surprised at the link between job satisfaction and workplace performance: I didn’t expect it to be quite so clean and quite so robust. But you are right: the association is not apparent for pay satisfaction. There could be many reasons for this. For instance, some argue that what matters in terms of worker productivity is intrinsic job satisfaction, that is, the satisfaction workers get from non-pecuniary aspects of their work. Some even go so far as to say that monetary rewards can undermine intrinsic satisfaction.

So there are good reasons to expect this difference in the results, but more work is probably needed to get to the bottom of this.

‘Employee satisfaction’ is quite a wide term. What do you think are some of the main contributing constituent factors to job satisfaction as a whole?

Job satisfaction is a complex concept.

It’s discussed in great detail in the

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 19

advogroup.co.uk | INTERVIEW WITH alex bryson report. It is not easy to establish what is in a worker’s mind when they are responding to a question that begins ‘how satisfied are you with….?’ because the question is always “relative to what?” My co-workers? How I was doing last week? Where I want to be in the future? So interpretation is bedevilled with issues about workers’ reference points. Still if you put that to one side you can be quite sure that those putting themselves at the top of these satisfaction scales are, in some sense, “happier” with their jobs than those who put themselves lower down the scale. What is neat about this particular survey is that we manage to avoid comparisons between workplaces because we focus on change within workplaces – the relationship between changes in satisfaction and changes in performance. In this way we overcome the difficulties that arise when comparing individuals – or in this case workplaces – where respondents’ reference points are quite different.

“

the government and its partners announced a What Works Centre for Wellbeing which initially has over £3.5 million over three years to investigate the determinants of wellbeing and how to improve it

”

What do you think are some of the easiest steps an employer could take to increase the level of employee satisfaction amongst their staff?

I can do no better than refer you to Acas’s take on our paper: http://www. acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5031 They point to important issues we identify in our review of the literature such as job design and the quality of supervision Do you think we are seeing a decrease in the number of employees failing to fully acknowledge this relationship between employee satisfaction and workplace performance?

No. What we can all see is increased attention being paid to this issue, certainly among policy makers and their advisers, but also among some employers and employer associations.

I suspect employees have intuitively always known that they worker better, harder and more effectively in environments where they feel safe, secure, supported and where they are given the opportunity to develop and learn. The link between productivity and wellbeing is unlikely to come as a surprise to them. What is perhaps surprising – at least to me – is just how clearly it shows up at workplace-level.

It could be said that the results of the research potentially has far reaching relevance for aiding the speed of the economic recovery. Would you like to see more business leaders and public figures addressing the issue of

job satisfaction and its link to workplace performance?

This is already happening. And it started before the recession. Just the other day the government and its partners announced a What Works Centre for Wellbeing which initially has over £3.5 million over three years to investigate the determinants of wellbeing and how to improve it (http://whatworkswellbeing.org/).

This follows government investments in wellbeing metrics developed and pioneered by the Office for National Statistics which, some argue, should be the basis for national accounts

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 20

which – like GDP estimates – provide an indication of how well the nation is doing.

The idea that wellbeing should be a target for public policy has been promoted for some time by prominent economists such as Lord Layard and the Commission advising the Sarkozy French government, which included Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

Let’s see what happens next.

discover your perfect dental plan with advo group speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | business leaders failing those with mental health cnoditions

“

Great talent is being lost and demotivated due to a lack of understanding about mental health

�

patrick watts corporate director bupa advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 22

advogroup.co.uk |business leaders failing those with mental health conditions

business leaders are failing those with mental health conditions according to new research from bupa www.bupa.com Mental health prejudice still exists in UK business and those at the top of the country’s largest organisations are not doing enough to tackle the problem according to a new study from Bupa. The overwhelming majority (94%) of business leaders admit there is a prejudice in their organisation towards people with mental health issues. Almost all (88%) claim they are trying to encourage an open culture of discussion around mental health and yet as many as seven in ten (70%) employees don’t feel they can speak candidly about such issues or concerns.

The study, Breaking the Silence, identifies that there is a disconnect between what leaders think they are doing to support good mental health, and what employees say they are actually experiencing.

confidential treatment without the need to see a GP or psychiatrist first – helping them return to peak performance sooner.”

Further to the culture of silence, Bupa’s research reveals that worrying While three quarters (76%) of prejudices are negatively impacting business leaders know that creating employees’ progress at work. One a mentally healthy workforce makes in five employees (20%) that have good business sense, Bupa’s study suffered with mental health issues reveals that leaders are not as have been put under pressure to understanding as they believe. Leaders resign, while half (51%) believe they admit to labelling employees with are less likely to get promoted. mental health conditions unpredictable (27%), erratic (22%) and weak This is reflected in the views of those at (22%). Meanwhile, almost half (47%) the top, with a third (27%) of business report treading on eggshells around leaders believing that workers with employees who have experienced a mental health illnesses will fail to mental health condition and one in five return to full productivity. Yet over leaders (22%) avoid talking to them half (53%) of employees who are altogether. experiencing these conditions feel they are still top performers.

Patrick Watt, corporate director at Bupa, comments: “Despite business Patrick Watt adds: “Great talent is leaders recognising the importance of being lost and demotivated due to a addressing mental health at work there lack of understanding about mental is still a long way to go to break down health. Yet, it is perfectly possible for the wall of silence and create genuine employees to return to work after a change. mental illness, and not only perform, but excel in their roles.

“Businesses must take immediate action. Managers need to be trained “Business leaders must be the to spot the signs and know how to champions of change: tackling support employees to get the right the stigma around mental health, help. At Bupa, we support a number eliminating practices or cultural habits of members to self-refer, ensuring that cause stress, and encouraging they get quick and easy access to people to speak up and to seek help

without fear or consequence.

“

Business leaders must be the champions of change: tackling the stigma

”

“Turning a blind eye will only push issues further underground.”

Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing, at Mind, said: “This latest research from Bupa echoes our own findings – that mental health is still a taboo in the workplace. It’s good that organisations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of prioritising the wellbeing of their staff, with those who make mental health a priority seeing the benefits in terms of increased staff productivity and morale; and decreased sickness absence. But clearly senior business leaders still hold some outdated and damaging views about the impact a mental health problem can have on somebody’s ability to carry out their role. We all have mental health and people with mental health problems can perform to a high standard and make a valuable contribution to the business”

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 23

advogroup.co.uk |failing to connect customer experience & employee engagement

64% of companies failing to connect customer experience and employee engagement news.advogroup.co.uk Despite customer experience (CX) and employee engagement (EE) regularly leading lists of CEO priorities, nearly two thirds (64%) of organisations are failing to integrate feedback across the two areas, according to research carried

by QuestBack, (http://www.questback.com) the global leader in enterprise feedback management (EFM). The 2014 QuestBack Enterprise Feedback Study found that just 36% of companies wholly or partially integrate data from their customer experience and employee engagement programmes. A further 26% aim to launch integration initiatives over the next 18 months, but 38% have no plans to connect the two disciplines.

Integrating feedback from customers and employees is increasingly recognised as a key way of delivering deeper insight into business operations. By unifying information companies have the ability to link customer satisfaction with engaged employees, gain insight from staff that can improve the customer experience and monitor and measure performance against key business objectives.

83% of companies that linked feedback saw benefits in an improved customer experience, while 75% felt it led to more motivated and engaged employees. Nearly six in ten organisations (58%) also said it allowed them to gain insight into

activities that link directly to business objectives. Integration allowed over half (51%) to link positive customer experiences to specific, engaged employees.

“Collecting, analysing and acting on feedback is increasingly crucial to business success,” said Paul Barnes, UK MD, QuestBack. “Combining customer experience and employee engagement data benefits customers, staff and the wider business. However our research shows that a growing gulf is developing between those that are looking to integrate feedback and those that don’t. Now is the time for the laggards to move from a departmental approach to feedback and adopt a

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 24

holistic, company-wide strategy, that brings together what customers and employees are saying about their products, services and working conditions.”

“

Combining customer experience & employee engagement data benefits customers, staff & the wider business

”

advogroup.co.uk | failing to connect customer experience & employee engagement

Integration efforts are being held back a combination of cultural and technology reasons. Despite the perceived benefits, 56% of those that had no plans to link customer experience and employee engagement, said they had never considered it, while over a third (36%) felt integration was too complex for their existing, departmental systems to cope with. Half of those (51%) that are integrating CX and EE have to manually export data from multiple systems for analysis, while 37% are comparing final, physical reports. Both of these add to time and cost, while increasing the possibility of errors. Nearly four in ten (39%) are still investigating how they will link systems together.

On the organisational side, the companies surveyed are adopting an integrated approach into who leads combined feedback programmes. The largest proportion (29%) said it was run jointly between Human Resources

and the customer experience/ customer service/marketing departments, while in 24% of cases it was the responsibility of a central insight function.

The CX or marketing department was in sole charge in 15% of cases, with it being led by HR in 14% of companies.

This joint approach brings together the right skills to create a holistic, company-wide view of data, avoiding silo-based working.

“Technology should be acting as an enabler, but in many cases it is proving to be a barrier to change,” said Paul Barnes, UK Managing Director, QuestBack, “Companies are quite rightly adopting a cross-departmental approach to combining feedback, but existing systems are forcing them to adopt time-consuming, error prone manual processes. To gain holistic, real-time

insight that links to business outcomes organisations need to break down technology silos and integrate HR and CX systems more closely, enabling them to dig into the data and reap the business and organisational benefits.”

The research was carried out by QuestBack in Q3 2014. Responses were received from 108 business executives across the UK responsible for customer experience and employee engagement.

26% came from CX or marketing departments, with 19% within HR and 31% part of central insight teams. 73% of companies had a turnover of over £11m, with 88% employing over 50 staff.

For the latest human resource news visit ADVO Group’s news feed on news.advogroup.co.uk.

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 25

advogroup.co.uk | interview with ann francke

“

The myopic management we criticise is the sort of short-termist approach that was exposed as so dangerous by the economic crash

ann francke ceo chartered management institute advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 26

�

“

advogroup.co.uk | interview with ann francke

One of the most dangerous elements of current management practice we found is the emphasis on hitting short term targets. That can lead to hugely damaging unintended consequences ann francke, cmi

”

www.managers.org.uk

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards in management and leadership excellence. A recent report by the organisation argues that employers across the country need to focus on their “Purpose, People and Potential” to improve the UK’s long-term economic prospects and warns against what it calls ‘myopic management’. In our latest interview we discuss the findings of the report with Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, to highlight the implications for business and government and the valuable new benchmarking tool.

Tell us some more about the report ‘Management 2020: leadership to unlock long-term growth’.

The Management 2020 report is the result of a major inquiry by the Commission on the Future of Management and Leadership, which was set up by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Management and CMI to investigate how management and leadership in the UK will need to change by 2020 to deliver sustainable economic growth.

they define and manage their social Purpose, how they lead their People, and what they do to develop the Potential of the next generation.

You criticise ‘myopic management’ in the report. What do you mean by that and what danger does it pose to business?

The myopic management we criticise is the sort of short-termist approach that was exposed as so dangerous by the economic crash. One of the most dangerous elements of current We heard evidence from academic management practice we found is experts, vibrant entrepreneurs, upthe emphasis on hitting short term and-coming young managers and targets. That can lead to hugely world-renowned business leaders. At damaging unintended consequences its heart, what we found was simple as employees do what they have to in but hugely powerful. Employers need order to hit the numbers, and scandals to focus on three key things to improve like mis-selling or rate fixing. It’s a the UK’s long-term prospects: how sad fact that those who cut costs and

overheads still seem to earn more respect than those who take the riskier, more innovative paths that lead to growth in revenue, profits and jobs.

We need to get away from our obsession with quarterly results.

Companies like Unilever, whose CEO Paul Polman spoke with the Commission, have shown that it can be done.

How easily do you think some of the issues raised in the report, such as not sufficiently training new managers, for example, could be rectified?

Worryingly, but not unsurprisingly, there is a strong correlation between a lack of investment in training and poor company performance but this is easily remedied through organisations

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 27

advogroup.co.uk | interview with mark farrar committing to train all staff before, or within three months of, being promoted into a management role.

Our evidence found that mentoring and coaching programmes are invaluable to supporting newly promoted managers. To start the journey, we’re encouraging managers to try out our Management 2020 Benchmarking Tool. This diagnostic tool will give you results that are benchmarked against a national database including over 2,000 managers, and identify key areas for improvement.

pick just a few trends.

What’s clear is that we have an urgent need to address this in the years ahead.

One of the most startling facts the Commission found was that the UK labour market will need one million new managers by 2020 – yet 71% of the leaders surveyed by CMI confess they could do better at training firsttime managers, or don’t train them at all. This could leave 150,000 employees a year taking on management roles without adequate preparation.

The report makes some recommendations for how Do you think there is a long history government could help address this of these types of management issues issue. What are some of the core or do you think these issues have suggestions here and which would increased in recent years? you say is the most crucial?

These issues are deep-rooted in many organisations’ cultures, but the reason they’re more important now than ever is that the world is changing rapidly.

Generation Y and Millenials will make up three quarters of the workforce by 2025 which means different expectations of how they’re managed, new technology is transforming how we work, and we have to embrace diversity much more than before, to

The report recommends building employability into education, by encouraging schools at primary and secondary level to provide practical team-leading opportunities and experience enterprise programmes, such as Young Enterprise and Enterprise Advisors.

It also recommends employers expand annual reports to include both social purpose and broader people metrics

covering employee engagement, diversity measures at all levels, job creation and educational activities.

Employers could similarly be encouraged to report on a voluntary basis how they are engaging with education, providing work experience and the targets they are setting for recruiting young people and those returning to work from career break.

Tell us some more about the management 2020 Benchmarking Tool?

We developed the Management 2020 Benchmarking Tool for managers to rate their organisation against what the Commission found was best practice across the three key areas of purpose, people and potential. The tool provides instant results benchmarked against over 2,000 managers across the UK, helping highlight key areas for improvement. It’s available to use, free of charge, at http://www. management2020.co.uk For more information on the Chartered Management Institute please visit www.managers.org.uk

“

mentoring and coaching programmes are invaluable to supporting newly promoted managers

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 28

”

discover how advo perks can help your employees with their weekly shop find out more now on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | the office christmas party

“

Fall-out from the festive party can be a worry for managers. It is important that leaders communicate exactly what behaviour will be tolerated

�

charles elvin chief executive institute of leadership & management advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 30

advogroup.co.uk |the office christmas party

the Dos and don’ts...

The transgressions to avoid at the Christmas party www.i-l-m.com This Christmas, an Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) survey of UK managers and workers has revealed which misdemeanours at the Christmas party could cause you unease when you get back into the office.

Almost 9 out of 10 workers (87%) have seen colleagues drink too much 48% have gone to work with a hangover after their office party 28% have heard staff revealing their colleagues’ secrets So what are the consequences of the office Christmas party and what should you watch out for?

More than half the managers surveyed (51%) said they would reprimand workers for being rude to each other, while 28% would tell workers off for revealing their colleagues’ secrets. Keen to dodge the line of fire themselves; 41% managers would reprimand staff for shouting at the boss.

Refreshingly though, our survey revealed that managers are indeed human beings, with only 10% of them reprimanding their workers for coming in with a hangover after the Christmas party. The survey also showed that we are a nation of troupers, with just 3% choosing to call in sick rather than weather the storm.

Charles Elvin, Chief Executive of ILM, commented: “Christmas parties are a great way for companies to show their appreciation to staff for all their hard work during the year, and it can also be a good opportunity for managers to get to know their staff in a more informal setting. However it is important for all to remember that they are still, essentially, in a working environment.”

keen for staff to let their hair down and have a dance. However, 17% would reprimand staff for drinking too much.

Charles continued: “Fall-out from the festive party can be a worry for managers. It is important that leaders communicate exactly what behaviour will be tolerated and what behaviour will not, and as always, lead by example. You can’t offer a free bar all night then complain when people drink too much.”

Although nearly 30% of workers thought their bad behaviour at a work Christmas party had had a negative impact on their career, only 3% reported ever being rebuked for their festive antics. More than 80% look forward to their office party at least some of the time, showing that it is overall still a positive aspect of the workplace and a nice way to end the year.

So behaviour to steer clear of: rudeness to colleagues, loose talk and it’s never good to shout at the boss.

ILM survey of managers said: Do: Enjoy yourself (94%) Get to know people from other areas of the organisation (62%) Discuss personal interests (40%) Dance (24%) Network with senior staff (13%) Don’t: Be rude to your colleagues (51%) Shout at the boss (41%) Reveal your colleagues’ secrets (28%) 94% of managers hoped their staff Drink too much (17%) would enjoy themselves, and 24% are Remove items of clothing (16%)

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 31

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

thank you for reading see you in the SPRING for the next edition of advocate magazine! issuu.com/advogroup Thanks for catching up with us here at ADVO Group for this Winter 2014 edition of Advocate magazine. Advocate will be back once again in the Winter to provide you with the very best human resource, occupational health, employee benefit and private medical insurance news, interviews, features and more!

ADVO Group’s account on Issuu.com will continue to be the primary home for Advocate magazine.

The best way to stay in touch is by subscribing to the news section on the ADVO Group website. You can do this by entering your email address at news.advogroup.co.uk/subscribe.

The subscription process is incredibly simply and best of all; it’s absolutely free!

If you’ve got a story that you think belongs in Advocate magazine, whether it’s news focusing on health insurance, human resources, occupational health or if you’d like to be interviewed then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Send your inquiries to info@advogroup.co.uk

In case you missed our key contacts at the start of the magazine you can get in touch with any of them on the contact details below.

Larry Bulmer Chief Executive lbulmer@advogroup.co.uk

Chris Mc Cracken Director, Commercial cmccracken@advogroup.co.uk Colin Boxall Director, Corporate cboxall@advogroup.co.uk Kevin Drew Director, Advo SIS kcrew@advogroup.co.uk

Gill Mateo Just to remind you about who we are Operations Director and what we can offer, ADVO Group gmateo@advogroup.co.uk is a multi award winning employee health benefit advisory looking after the requirements of many customers, from small businesses right up to multi national corporations. Whatever your health insurance or employee benefit needs, we are here to help. We offer entirely indepent, free and expert advice so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a ring on 0845 2578833. You can also email us at info@advogroup.co.uk.

advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 32

You can also get in touch by calling us on 0845 2578833, faxing us on 01622 769211. We also have three offices across the country.

Head office: ADVO House St Leonards Road Allington Kent ME16 0LS

Oxford Office: 8 Old Station Yard Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3LD

You can also get in touch through any of our social media channels. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. Thanks again for reading and see you in the Winter for the next edition of Advocate magazine.

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

find every copy of advocate magzine online at issuu.com/advogroup Issue #11 autumn 2014 In our cover feature we gain a fascinating insight into a recent study commissioned by AAT which discovered that most employees prioritise a range of elements over salary concerns. We are also featuring two further exclusive interviews, with Joe Wiggins from online awareness community, Glassdoor and Glen Hughes from law firm, Irwin Mitchell. We are also looking at a range of other human resource and occupational health stories such as one in three Brits pulling a sickie which is costing business an enormous £9bn, the damaging effects of ‘myopic management’, how UK workers prefer professional development over ‘cool’ offices, the ways in which nightshift workers can boost their health and how walking or cycling to work improves wellbeing.

Issue #10 summer 2014 We discuss with CIPD’s Research Advisor for Human Capital Metrics and Standards, Edward Houghton, the challenge of measuring and understanding human capital.

We are also featuring a fascinating interview with Jamie Lawrence, editor of human resource website hrzone.com. We are also looking at a range of other human resource and occupational health stories such as new research that aims to explore the questions ‘what is it that today’s young workers really want?’ and the survey that suggests as many as a third of employees are currently finding the strain of work difficult to manage. We also feature a piece looking at one of the must haves for this Summer; travel insurance.

Issue #09 spring 2014 In this edition we are bringing you a fascinating interview with Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK to discuss their amazing new smartphone game. The app, called ‘Play to Cure: Genes in Space’ offers a truly groundbreaking concept; through people simply playing the game, extremely valuable genetic data is generated to help scientists in their battle against cancer. Hannah explains how the project began, from the ‘Gamejam’ event through to the launching of the app and it’s planned developments.

don’t miss a copy, subscribe to our issuu channel... its 100% free! advocate WINTER 2014 | advogroup.co.uk | 33

Maidstone Office ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Allington, Kent, ME16 0LS

Tel 0845 2578833 Fax 01622 769211 Email info@advogroup.co.uk Web advogroup.co.uk

ADVO Group | Employee Benefit Consultants ADVO Group Limited Registered Office ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS Registered in England No 4500663.

The ADVO Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority