Customer case study

NZ Post

“Supporting people’s wellbeing is a key focus for our culture strategy. At NZ Post, it’s important we deliver the best wellbeing services to our diverse organisation – giving our people from all walks of life and with differing needs more tools and ways to access personal support. Our ‘wellbeing basket’ has a range of solutions - including face to face education and confidential coaching. Our pilot with Groov, of which 1,500 of us are participating in, is a key part of our wellbeing offering.
Since we started the Groov pilot, I’ve noticed an increase in powerful conversations, with people opening up about their own struggles and victories with mental health. Our pilot participants are telling us they value the daily tools and prompts to proactively look after themselves. Groov has been a great addition to our wellbeing basket.”

— Monica Ayers, Chief People Officer, NZ Post

The Challenge

NZ Post executives were keen to solve the problem of how their corporate workplace responded to Covid-19 in 2021. With 1,700 corporate staff working from home - a commonplace situation - across a range of areas including technology, finance and marketing - meant that people felt a greater sense of social isolation. Combined with mental stress and fatigue, and the ongoing ramifications that Covid-19 continues to bring, this was NZ Post’s defined issue that is relatable to many other businesses today. How can we build resilience in our workplaces remotely?

While the NZ Post Pilot programme is still in its early stages today, there are valuable insights we can share that elucidate the fundamental challenges we now all face in a COVID world.

The Solution

NZ Post were attracted to the whole organisation, whole individual approach that Groov offer. The ability to help embed a culture of wellbeing across the organisation, leadership and individual employee levels of the business really resonated.

Our bespoke programme involved a number of launch sessions across the country for NZ Post staff, featuring Sir John Kirwan & Dr Fiona Crichton.

Wellbeing Lead at NZ Post, Lisa Fawcett stated, "They were well run and people relished the opportunity to connect with the powerful and relatable stories told by JK."

The Launch

NZ Post had people dial in from Singapore and the UK to attend these launch events. Lisa described how they danced, connected, hugged and shared personal stories of resilience, and how these events acknowledged a fundamental truth - our humanity.

A number of NZ Post employees found these events to be safe spaces. A number opened up about personal struggles they battled and overcame in this authentic bonding exercise. From this pilot programme, there was an excellent 40% adoption rate of employees (600 people) joining the programme, which came with a customised JK video and invitation.

The Groov app has been widely used and engaged with, particularly the use of: The personality quiz, the wheel of kindness, reading the stories on the Groov app, daily reminders

Lisa reflected on how the programme was particularly helpful at initiating that people do an activity or get out of their environment and engage in outdoor activities. These prompts often led to exercise, reminders to take breaks and conversation starters.

“I feel very proud to work at a company that values people’s wellbeing as much as NZ Post does. We’ve learned the importance of creating real connections with each other, valuing each other for who we are as individuals, and creating space for people to be themselves, to speak up about how they’re feeling and to ask for help when they need it.”

— Monica Ayers, Chief People Officer, NZ Post

Recap

How Groov is helping Australians and New Zealanders

In a recent survey of 530 active users* of Groov across Australia and New Zealand:

73% are using the Groov app every day or a few times a week
68% state the Groov app has helped their mental wellbeing to a moderate, large or very large extent.
83% feel better able to manage their stress levels
88% feel they have learnt new tools and techniques to look after their wellbeing
83% now feel more knowledgeable about mental wellbeing
61% feel more in control of their emotions
63% feel more resilient
37% feel they are sleeping better
64% scored Groov a 9 or 10 out of 10 for ‘How likely would you recommend Groov to a friend, family or colleague.’

*an active user is defined as someone who has had at least one session in the Groov app within the last 30 days.

“We have moved to a wellbeing first economy where, if you take care of your people, they will take care of your business.

The change in focus has been made from talking about mental health to one about mental wellbeing. Leading companies are realising they need to embrace this change and how they can help the everyday mental wellbeing of their staff. One of the best and only scalable long-term approaches is to do that digitally.”

— Sir John Kirwan, Co-founder of Groov