Phone
Phone
Phone
Application
Application
Application
Another method some are reaching for is email. Prior to being cleared to enter the workplace, employees would respond to wellness check emails delivered to their inboxes or would be required to send in responses on their own (without first receiving requests) to a predetermined set of questions. Like with text-based methods, no new tools or systems are required and the centrality of emails in our everyday lives means familiarity with the format can be reasonably assumed, eliminating the need for any extensive training.
For email to work well, the process needs to be as simple as possible. For example, an auto-generated email can send a static, single question email that asks employees “Do you have symptoms?”—while prompting employees to respond with a yes or no. Crucially, the system needs to automatically capture and store the responses, and be capable of sending proper replies.
Email checks may not be well suited for every type of workforce—for example, in manufacturing where employees may not be in front of screens all day. Other disadvantages include accessibility (many people have at least two email accounts, one for work and one or more personal), volume (the average professional receives upwards of 120 emails per day), and ease of use (simply responding with a “Y” or “N” could require as many as nine steps).
Phone Call/Autodial
Phone systems may also be used. They’re direct, have the potential to be automated, and might even be preferred by some employees over text or email. There’s also a bit of flexibility with this method as responses can be provided either verbally or via numeric keypad numeric (i.e. “Press 1 for symptom-free”).
Yet, like with emailing, this method is more cumbersome and time-consuming than texting, with potential wait times to get someone on the line and the reading out of automated messages or prompts. What’s more, response data may be harder to aggregate and act on, and younger workers might be prone to screen unknown numbers. Also, implementation could require the purchase of a new system if manual calls aren’t an option and autodialing/IVR capabilities aren’t already part of an organization’s operations.
Application
Phone apps, either custom or pre-built, are also an option to consider. Employees would install the app and respond to daily wellness questions. Data is then accessed through reports and dashboards in a system like Salesforce’s Work.com.
From a data collection, integration, and information security standpoint. there are some distinct advantages—minimal integration, separate interface, greater security. The drawbacks, however, are meaningful: Requiring every employee to have a smartphone, having options for both iOS and Android users, training employees on how to use the app, and bumping up against a crowded app space and a real sense of app fatigue.