Wellcrowd
The Situation
Mobile, dispersed workers create unique challenges for human resource teams
Employers have a duty of care to ensure the wellbeing of their workers. Companies with large, mobile workforces often struggle, however, to identify problems a worker might be having.
This not only negatively impacts individual workers. Stressed, unhappy workers are less productive and less likely to remain in their roles.
The Problem
Current solutions for promoting the wellbeing of mobile workers are insufficient
Many large companies have implemented employee assistance programs to address physical, financial, or emotional challenges faced by staff. In most instances, the take up rate for these services among mobile workers is very low.
The situation is more complicated for companies with a dispersed workforce. Human resource teams struggle to identify problems early or engage directly with mobile staff to offer support.
The Task
Startup Wellcrowd wanted to create an app to improve dispersed worker wellbeing
The founders of Wellcrowd wanted to create a new platform which would help employees quickly and easily report problems and receive help.
They also wanted a system that provides visibility of workforce wellbeing across all levels of a company to human resource teams.
After meeting with Rocketmakers, they asked them to build a Wellcrowd smartphone app and a web-based platform for use by HR managers.
Our Discovery
Getting to know the challenges faced by mobile workers and their HR support
Wellcrowd’s founders signed an agreement with one of the largest drainage services providers in the UK to be its initial customer. With hundreds of workers dispersed across the country every day, the company faced exactly the sort of problems Wellcrowd hopes to address.
This provided Rocketmakers’ user experience (UX) designers with access to both types of end user: mobile workers and human resource officers.
After speaking to the HR team, a design was created that would gather daily information from mobile workers but with minimal user-friction to encourage engagement.
The discovery process revealed that, while an app would be needed by key people throughout the company, the most effective way to gather information from mobile workers was to integrate the new system into the drainage company’s existing fleet management software.
Our Approach, Part 1 - UX design
A non-intrusive app that encourages workers to seek the support they need
The user journey for the new Wellcrowd app was designed to be easy to navigate and fast to use.
Before beginning their workday, users register their mood along a five point scale. If a user responds with Fantastic or Happy, the app’s function is considered complete for that day.
If a user provides a mood score of “Okay” or below, they are asked if they would like a call to discuss reasons for their low mood. If a call is selected they are asked to specify the type of problem they are facing (from physical and mental health to personal issues to work-related issues). If the problem is work related, a final form narrows down the specific area of work that is problematic.
Information from each end is compiled and presented to human resource officers on a system admin dashboard. Admins can see mood ratings for every part of the company, and can identify teams where multiple workers are possibly suffering from similar work-related frustrations. There is also a window which lists call requests from workers and the types of support they have requested.
Our Approach Part 2 - software architecture
Seamless integration with existing software, devices, and security protocols
The backbone of the Wellcrowd platform is a postgres database with a containerised runtime built on a Google Cloud server. This can be accessed using an exposable API, which makes it easy for developers to integrate Wellcrowd into a client’s existing tech stack.
For workers at the drainage company, most engage with Wellcrowd as part of their logging in process when using the logistics software Samsara. Workers are presented with a Samsara form that asks the same mood-related questions as appear in the app, and the information is sent to the Wellcrowd server using the API.
Not all of the drainage company’s employees use Samsara, however. These workers access Wellcrowd using a progressive web app built using React Capacitor. This can be accessed on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as a normal desktop computer.
Lastly, the Rocketmakers dev team integrated Azure Single Sign On (SSO), to make accessing Wellcrowd easy and secure for the drainage company’s employees.
The Result
An app that supports workforce wellbeing and boosts efficiency for HR professionals
The new Wellcrowd platform built by Rocketmakers is a perfect solution for the problems facing companies with mobile, dispersed workforces.
- Users engage with the app every day, but demands are kept minimal unless there is a need to address.
- Workers get the help they need when they need it, boosting productivity and retention.
- Human resources officers have crucial data that helps them spot problems before they become critical, and provides essential data to drive good decision-making.
- With its exposed API, Wellcrowd is designed to provide maximum flexibility to any company hoping to integrate it into their employee’s workflow.
The Impact
Successful early results pave the way for a larger rollout
Integrating a new software solution for a large, mobile workforce can be a challenge, but Wellcrowd is now in use by over 1,000 drainage workers and has proven an effective way for workers to communicate with human resources, and for human resources to help workers.
Wellcrowd is currently being rolled out to all other divisions at the drainage services provider, and is in talks to several other potential clients who face similar challenges promoting wellbeing at work.
Rocketmakers has been retained by Wellcrowd to provide ongoing support and upgrades.