Wellbeing Superstars June 5, 2024
Over 18 000 customers rely on OP Janakkala cooperative bank’s more than 30 finance professionals and expert service. Staff wellbeing – both at work and outside it – is one of OP Janakkala's core values, along with friendliness, accountability and shared success.
A joint wellbeing journey between OP Janakkala and Wellbeing Superstars started on a grey October day in 2023, with a team day headed by none other than Olympic skiing champion Sami Jauhojärvi. But that's where the greyness of the day ended. Jauhojärvi’s lecture on capacity management and physical fitness challenged participants to think about identifying their own limits and managing their personal resources. An Olympic champion, if anyone, knows how to build capacity in the midst of a busy work and home life, and the role teamwork plays in optimising resources and improving physical fitness as part of holistic development.
Developing wellbeing at work is, of course, much more than just a great day out building team spirit. It's about long-term work to build a shared company culture, and listening to staff with a sensitive ear. There is an established tradition of this at OP Janakkala; regular staff surveys have long been used as a basis for developing operations in collaboration with employees. The results have been excellent, and in the latest survey, OP Janakkala's Draivi Wellbeing Index scored a fantastic 4.17 on a scale of 1 to 5.
“Although these results are already excellent, we are keen to support all our staff in their wellbeing and self-development, and help them cope with the demands of working life. We look forward to embarking on this long-term journey with Wellbeing Superstars, which will provide us with a wealth of additional information on sleep, recovery, nutrition, and exercise. These are the building blocks of wellbeing for each and every one of us,” says Mikko Suutari, OP Janakkala’s CEO.
“Providing our people with the support to build their own wellbeing journey also reflects positively on our skilled, engaged staff’s employee experience. This is also reflected in the excellent level of our employer net promotor score eNPS, which was 70 in the latest HR survey,” continues Suutari.
Longer-term wellbeing collaboration between OP Janakkala and Wellbeing Superstars kicked off with a live launch at the bank’s Turenki branch in early April 2024 – with Olympic champion Jauhojärvi there to spur the team on, of course.
Tiina Ven, Wellbeing Superstars’ Head Coach, is delighted about OP Janakkala’s journey towards a better everyday life: “OP Janakkala is serious about investing in the wellbeing and working capacity of its employees. During the spring of 2024, the bank's experts will focus on their own coping and wellbeing. These reflections will then be used to create personal plans and goals to promote better exercise, nutrition, and recovery.”
Wellbeing Superstars' wellbeing experts will be on hand to coach, encourage and support participants during the journey. Weekly reflections and tasks based on different themes aim to make participants aware of their own choices and behaviours, and to find individual ways to cope better in everyday life. In the run-up to the summer, the focus will be on sleep and recovery for a 10-week period, under the guidance of sleep doctor Janne Kanervisto. With a boosted understanding of the benefits and mechanisms of restorative sleep, everyone can start their summer holidays with a relaxed mind.
OP Janakkala's Marketing Specialist Heidi Vikman has been closely involved with the planning of the wellbeing journey from the very beginning: “We know that in the middle of a hectic job, it’s sometimes challenging to stop and think about your wellbeing. That's why we’re putting a lot of focus and effort into our wellbeing coaching. We've set up a dedicated Teams channel for the coaching, and added an extra 15 minutes to our weekly team meetings to talk and share our thoughts about wellbeing.”
Feedback from OP Janakkala's experts has been positive right from the start of the wellbeing journey:
“It's good that this is a long-term project, so it's easy to jump in later, too.”
“Great that all the wellbeing themes are regularly on the agenda, so you’re reminded of them often.”
“The different themes ensure that everyone can find something to suit them. After all, everyone has different goals.”
At OP Janakkala, caring about the everyday lives and wellbeing of the bank’s finance experts also means that customers are being looked after better. And that, if something, is worth nurturing.
