The results of our annual patient survey highlight the benefits to employers of offering a nurse-led service, providing practical advice and emotional support to help staff cope in times of physical and mental illness, disability, trauma or bereavement.
A range of questions relating to the quality and effectiveness of our service were put to the individuals the organisation helps, and nearly a fifth (18%) stated the service had helped them return to or remain in work. The support reflected well on employers, with 95% saying that the support enhanced their view of the sponsoring organisation.
Such was the overwhelming positivity regarding the support, 99% rated the service Excellent or Good for the fourth year running, resulting in a world-class Net Promoter Score of 85%. (Net Promoter Score is a cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction. Above 80% is considered world-class.)
Of course, the primary reason for any employer offering a nurse-led service is to help employees who suffer with physical or mental ill health, but this year’s survey also clearly highlights the significant benefits to the employer as well. Not only does our type of service support employees in their return to work and therefore their productivity, it also enhances the employer’s brand in the eyes of current employees.
Key areas valued most highly, rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ included:
- Having an empathetic nurse to take the call (94%)
- Feeling they were being listened to (92%)
- and especially the ability to talk to someone outside of immediate family or friends (84%)
- The ability to express and discuss the problems that were most important (88%)
- Ongoing contact and support for as long as it was needed (86%)
- Being given useful information and appropriate guidance (79%)
Selecting a partner to provide help to employees in ill health is not a decision that employers should take lightly, as the competency of the support provider will be reflected in employees’ opinions of their employer.
Following Brexit, the pandemic and the ‘pingdemic’, the employment market is very much skewed in favour of the job-seeker and not the employer, which is why now is exactly the time that employers should be aware of their brand from a recruitment and retention point of view.
An employer brand is made of up of a combination of attributes, values and culture, of which its care and compassion towards its staff, particularly during their hour of need, is a large component. Offering support services that have a proven track record of helping employees through these difficult periods in their lives is no longer a nice-to-have but a must-have tool in the armory of HR departments in order to stay competitive in the recruitment marketplace.
