Marko Tanskanen recommends Moodmetric Measurement both for measuring well-being at work and for research into the subject. – It was important that participants were able to see the results in real time because it provided them with immediate feedback, says Marko Tanskanen.
Marko works as an R&D expert in Mikkeli at Active Life Lab, a research centre for South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk). The mission of Active Life Lab is to improve the well-being of individuals through research and development, in diverse collaboration with companies and other actors working in the field. At the moment Marko is assigned to the CARVE project.
CARVE project: In search of keys for better well-being at work
The CARVE project began in Belgium, at the University of Leuven, where they wanted to study how to improve well-being at work by means of job crafting and adjusting work to the circadian rhythm of employees.
– We at Xamk were interested in how the CARVE project made it possible to combine a new approach to well-being at work with the use of technology and questionnaires, says Marko Tanskanen. CARVE made it possible to use technology as a measurement and thus include both objective and subjective data in the research. Being able to join international forces in the research of well-being at work was equally important.
In the research the Moodmetric smart ring was used as a physiological measurement. After a period of measuring for two weeks, the next six months were spent implementing changes to promote well-being at work, after which a final round of measurement was conducted. During the six months experts from Xamk helped the test groups to find ways to promote well-being. These included tips for mental well-being, changes to ways of working, and relaxation during the workday. The goal of having a good night’s sleep was also set.
How does Moodmetric work as a measurement in research into well-being at work?
Marko Tanskanen is satisfied with the selection of Moodmetric as the measurement in the project. He lists some of the benefits of using Moodmetric Measurement:
- The Moodmetric smart ring was selected as the measurement tool in the project for its ability to provide data in real time. The data demonstrated instantaneously the impact of the concrete of actions taken to improve well-being.
- Collaboration with the folks at Moodmetric worked really well, and it was important for us to be able to purchase the measurement as a service. Taking the ring into use was managed over a video call and the rings arrived directly to the addresses we had assigned.
- Managing the data was easy through the spreadsheets and CSV files available in the cloud service. It made it possible to customize the data for the needs of the project.
– All in all, the measurement service was effortless for the researchers and participants. I can warmly recommend Moodmetric Measurement both for managing well-being activities at work and as a tool for research, says Marko Tanskanen.
The project’s lessons learnt are being collected into a databank
Employees taking part in Moodmetric Measurement responded at work to a set of questions once every hour on how they perceived their stress levels and sense of alertness. These questionnaires, together with the Moodmetric Measurement data, give new kind of information on well-being at work.
Awareness of things affecting well-being at work increased in the companies during the project. Managers took part in the measurements and there were good discussions between different organizational levels. According to the employees, technology played a key role in them finding new ways to enhance their own well-being at work.
Real-time feedback received through Moodmetric Measurement is key to finding ways to support mental well-being, says Marko Tanskanen
What about the results, shall those be available for other companies to make use of?
– We shall be putting together material for companies too. We’re evaluating opportunities for job crafting and assessing the optimum times for and length of breaks. We’re working towards creating a databank by using the findings from other countries in project CARVE, and gathering relevant material from resources such as the Finnish Institute of Health, says Marko Tanskanen.
One of the goals of the project is to list technologies which can be used during the workday to aid recovery. The Practice functionality on the Moodmetric app is one such tool, adds Marko Tanskanen.
Marko Tanskanen
R&D expert
tel. +358 40 645 9207
Twitter: @MTanskanen
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences
Sustainable Well-being, Project CARVE
Mikkeli, Saimaa Stadiumi, Active Life Lab
Facebook: Active Life Lab
