HERO:
What have been the keys to your success in creating an effective employee health management program?
Crighton:
There are two things that have given us clarity in our goals and employee health strategy at Prudential. First, we started with a data-driven analysis of not only our results, but of our needs. By using data, including HRA data and claims data, to identify our population’s health risks, we were able to secure leadership commitment and remain committed to driving a culture of health.
We have also established a clear definition of health that goes beyond the medical side of things to include mental health, financial health, social support and spiritual health. This approach has really resonated with our employees.
HERO:
When you look back at your program outcomes, what results or outcomes do you feel are the most significant?
Crighton:
A few of the data-driven outcomes that I feel are significant include the risk profile of our population, which has improved significantly since 2008. When we started our health initiative, our low-risk population was only 55 percent of our workforce, last year 79 percent of employees were at low risk. On the back end, we’ve been able to demonstrate cost reductions from our health management program. This then engages the conversation with the leadership and feeds back to employees.
At Prudential, the goal of our program is not cost reduction. It just happens in part because we talk about a shared responsibility and we tell employees that as they move to a lower risk category, they’ll have lower personal health care costs, lower needs and be able to retire healthier. And who doesn’t want that?
One of our goals is to maximize performance for our employees, whether they’re at work or at home. This is where the work-life function becomes important. At Prudential, we’ve added HRA questions that get to the heart of how employees manage balance between their lives at work and at home. We look at participation from both an organizational level and a program level. Currently, 62 to 66 percent of employees take the HRA every year and 77 percent take it at least once in a three-year period. I’m also very pleased to say that we’re starting to look at business group outcomes in addition to individual outcomes so we can better understand how we’re affecting the health of the organization as a whole, not just at the individual level.
HERO:
What lessons have you learned over the years that you can share with other companies that have made a commitment to improving employee health?
Crighton:
There are four very simple things employers can do to improve their employee health outcomes. First, start by understanding your business and the culture of your organization. Make sure, over time that your health management program does not conflict with your values. Second, keep things as simple as possible, while still driving good results. For instance, don’t lead with a complicated incentive plan out of the gate when a more basic approach will accomplish your goals. Third, share your successes and be open and honest about your issues along the way. Employees will become more invested if they’re aware of the challenges you’re trying to address and are able to share in the company’s success. And finally, remember that improving employee health is not something you do to employees, but rather something that you do with them.
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