SPOTLYFE — winner of the 2022 HR Technology Conference Pitchfest — positions itself as a tool to help businesses and workers improve their relationship by enabling workers to improve their wellbeing, at work and at home. It aims to assist people at every level of the organization by guiding them through weekly moments of self-reflection and the resulting “micro-changes.” The idea is to let companies move away from “work-first hustle cultures” and toward “sustainability cultures” where people can find fulfillment across their complete lives.
Given all that’s going on in the workplace today, this makes sense. In recent years, the culture and people’s perceptions around work have been changing. Employees are reevaluating what they need in the workplace. There has been an uptick in people leaving their jobs for a variety of reasons, including lack of flexibility and competitive pay. On the whole, employees are less loyal to companies and less willing to just settle for a job, especially one that brings stress into their lives.
.@theSPOTLYFE aims to help businesses and workers develop their relationship by helping employees improve their wellbeing. #HR #HRTech Click To TweetIn a the 2021Work Trend Index Report, Microsoft CPO Kathleen Hogan observed that “workers around the world have a new ‘worth it’ equation, with 53% of respondents — particularly parents (55%) and women (56%) — saying they’re more likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work than before. And they’re taking action: The number one reason cited for leaving their jobs in the last year was for personal wellbeing or mental health reasons.”
These things have not gone unnoticed. There has been discussion about work-life balance as well as a rise in employee burnout. In addition, the there’s the controversy around “quiet quitting,” where employees choose not to go above and beyond their basic responsibilities and instead do only what they are obligated to do, all in an attempt to escape “hustle culture” and overwork.
Problem Solving
In light of these problems, companies are looking for solutions as well as ways to attract and retain talent. SPOTLYFE was developed to help.
Created by long-time industry executive, Josh Schwede, SPOTLYFE is a digital platform that helps develop employee experience, engagement and wellness. The software prompts workers who opt in to set an intention every week, one that will improve an aspect of their work or life. Workers can check in with themselves on their level of fulfillment in their life, work and wellness by “turning a dial from 0-100.” Then, at the end of each week, employees are asked to reflect and recognize one thing they are grateful for as a way to focus on what matters to them.
Employees can choose to share this information with their employer. If not, SPOTLYFE anonymizes the data to help managers get a better understanding of their workforce, not only from the lens of work but as a person. Self-reported employee sentiment data about the whole human, collected in a safe and secure way that that doesn’t expose the individual.
“A lot of times people prioritize work, and then everything else in their life, and they put themselves last,” said CEO Schwede. “Our platform is designed to drive micro changes in people’s lives. If you just start with one change and do that really well, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and so on, people can start to drive big changes across their life.”
SPOTLYFE’s goal is to have people use the tool and see the “early warning signals for burnout.” From there, employees can begin to think about the things they are spending their time on and if that’s driving fulfillment. The company hopes this will result in a dialogue between employer and employee, as well as workers prioritizing their well-being.
Attracting Talent
For employers and companies, this kind of tool could be beneficial in attracting new talent, as well. This software acts as a way for employers to prove that they care about their workers, rather than just the work they do. It offers an “opportunity for organizations to show the human side of their work culture and that you care about your people,” Schwede said.
SPOTLYFE argues that using its platform can be proof of a company’s commitment to better understanding and helping their employees, showing they care about the whole person. In turn, this could serve as a way to attract employees who are looking for a role that fits their approach to life.
“Companies can leverage that in the short run as a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting talent, because we know the people that are looking for jobs, they’re leaving something, right? They’re leaving a bad fit or bad manager or a bad culture. And so, for those who are looking for a position that is purpose-driven or lives in the right culture, this will help with that,” he said.
However this, like other platforms, won’t be able to solve imbalance completely. The real work, Schwede said, will have to be done by company leaders, who can make their workplaces offer a good environment for employees.
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