Auntie gives Tonje Magnussøn, HR director at VIEW Group, access to professional experts who can help her to safeguard employee mental health.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Norway, VIEW Group HR director Tonje Magnussøn knew that she would need to bring more resources into the fold. Her search led her to Auntie - a digital low-threshold service for companies looking to safeguard employee mental health.
When established ways of working change overnight, it is important that employees have the tools they need to feel they are staying on top of everyday work - not least of all when working from home. This is particularly the case when the company is already undergoing transformation.
“We want to be a workplace where people can develop and thrive. VIEW Group is a forward-thinking company that embraces new technology and ensures our development by working in new ways. In the next few years, we are going to be working a little differently, so it will be important to bolster and safeguard employees during the process. That way, they take part in the change process too,” says HR director Tonje Magnussøn.
VIEW Group provides financial services that help companies streamline accounting, finance and business processes from the cloud. The company has 220 employees in Norway.
HR experts tend to be closely involved in most change processes. It was a similar story when the pandemic hit Norway in March 2020, posing fresh challenges for HR employees across the country. After all, how do you ensure that your employees are doing well when you do not see them every day?
Seeking a solution to this, VIEW Group turned to Auntie, a Finnish company specialising in mental health in the workplace. By providing fast, reliable and personalised guidance, Auntie ensures that staff have the tools they need to successfully manage their everyday and prosper in their jobs.
|
Low-threshold help in a hectic workday
In January 2021, VIEW Group and Auntie collaborated on a pilot project, which saw the service tested in certain sections of the company. Tonje informs us that they wanted a low-threshold service, providing reliable, fast and personalised follow-up, as a supplement to the health insurance already provided by the company. Auntie would give them just that.
The Auntie service is now used across the group, with employees receiving personalised follow-up through various packages adapted to their needs. Everything is digital.
“For us, the fact that Auntie is a digital service is a major plus. We all have hectic working days, and the threshold for seeking help is often lower if you can get the help you need when it suits you best,” Tonje says.
The staff soon established strong relationships with Auntie's experts.
“Some people question whether they can have the same relationship through a screen as they would via in-person meetings. In our experience, trust is built just as well digitally,” she continues.
Want to know more about what services Auntie offers? Click here for more about Auntie's various packages for better mental health.
Employees who are thriving add value to the company
For Tonje, it is important to have a professional partner who can support her in her efforts to look after the company's employees. With her hand still firmly on the wheel, she can help each employee and manager to find the Auntie package they will benefit most from.
In a survey conducted by Mindshare Partners, 86 percent of employees responded that they would like employers to be more open to discussion around mental health in the workplace. Only 60 percent say they feel comfortable enough to talk about how they feel, however. Employees who are doing well and thriving at work are more motivated, deliver better results and stay longer at the company. This is exactly what VIEW Ledger was aiming to achieve.
Auntie, a great investment in mental health
To monitor progress, Tonje receives reports from Auntie containing anonymous statistics and voluntary feedback relating to the service. She can factor any findings into the company's improvement work.
“Talking about mental health can be tricky. With such busy schedules, it can be a struggle for managers to stay on top of everyday life. Sometimes, our employees are going through tough times at home and need help and tools to deal with this. It is important for the company for our employees to feel better - this is invaluable and has an enormous effect. Auntie is a great investment,” she concludes.
Share article
