Well-Measured #2: Not all wellbeing measures are created equal.

1. Mental Health and Wellbeing is distinct from Mental Illness – therefore measurement needs to consider both aspects.

Failing to do so means we miss important information to craft a wellbeing strategy that both responds to risk-factors as well as builds on the opportunities for people to flourish.

This measurement approach aligns to the Corey Keyes dual continua model (for more information on this model view an earlier blog by our researcher Matt Iasiello here).

We also shared snippets of our latest research into wellbeing measurement which has been distilled into 21 factors for positive functioning (from 410 constructs!).

The absence of risk does not equal the presence of wellbeing.

A parallel can be drawn between workplace risk indicators – the area that most companies focus on – and capturing resources and strengths.

Companies that truly want to measure wellbeing comprehensively, and in return provide themselves with better data to drive organisational outcomes, look;

1. beyond risk and

2. beyond workplace culture indicators.

2. Our data over time tells us 2 in 3 people have distress or low wellbeing, with young people aged 18-24 a particular group at-risk.

A closer look at our data shows mental health and wellbeing profiles differ among industries and organisations, with some showing high distress together with high wellbeing.

This not only highlights why it is important to capture both aspects, but also shows the importance of ensuring you have industry relevant comparison data.

3. Nine tips when measuring the wellbeing of your people including:

1. One or two questions in an existing survey will not provide meaningful insights

2. Don’t make up questions; wording, response scales and timescale matter

3. Choose measures wisely, ensure they are scientifically validated and consider length to combat survey fatigue

4. Scoring method matters; choose scales that come with cut-offs and norms, allowing you to make better predictions on how your people are doing

5. Measure risks and resources (distress and wellbeing) together

6. Measure over time, not just once: things change

7. Learn from existing evidence-based frameworks when choosing your metrics: no need to reinvent the wheel

8. Report back to your people; this empowers them and builds their mental health literacy rather than usual surveys which purely take data

9. Privacy, trust and data security matter!

If you would like to know more about workplace wellbeing measurement and how we can help email us at hello@bewellco.io.