Erin Ogunsanya
Benefits and Wellness Manager
Matterport
Episode 319
Why Your HR Strategy Needs Radical Adaptability for Global Well-being
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 3, 2025 · 11:07
Thesis
“Successful HR and wellness initiatives must be authentic, data-driven, and highly adaptable to the evolving needs of a diverse, often global and hybrid, workforce, empowering individuals with flexibility and a culture of holistic well-being.”
Show notes
In this episode of the Built by People podcast, sponsored by Previ, host Dave speaks with Erin Ogunsanya about her unique journey into HR and her current role as Head of Global Benefits and Wellness at Matterport. Erin shares her unconventional path from hairstylist to HR leader and discusses the impact of the hybrid work environment on employee wellness. She highlights effective wellness programs, the importance of adaptability, and the use of data metrics to assess program effectiveness. Erin also offers advice on self-advocacy and building a career in HR. 00:16 Sponsorship Message from Previ 00:45 Meet Erin: An Unconventional Journey into HR 03:37 Navigating the Hybrid Work Environment 06:03 Effective Wellness Programs for Remote and In-Office Employees 07:44 Global Wellness Initiatives and Regional Adaptations 08:44 Engaging Employees in a Hybrid Work Culture 09:34 Measuring the Success of Wellness Programs 10:32 Parting Advice and Closing Remarks
What you'll take away
- 1Remote work, when managed effectively, can significantly increase employee productivity, reduce stress, and improve work-life balance, leading to higher utilization of benefits.
- 2Effective wellness programs are not static; they must be continuously adapted based on community feedback, data, and changing demographics to remain relevant.
- 3For global organizations, a successful benefits and wellness strategy requires treating each region as a separate entity, tailoring offerings to distinct local needs and cultural contexts.
- 4Leveraging data and metrics is critical for HR professionals to drive strategic decisions, advocate for initiatives with leadership, and objectively assess program effectiveness.
- 5An unconventional career path into HR is achievable through self-advocacy and actively seeking opportunities to build practical skills, even if traditional entry points are inaccessible.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Erin sees an increase in benefit utilization as a positive outcome of remote work, indicating employees are better able to take care of their health, contrasting with potential corporate views of increased costs.
In Erin's words
“I've had a pretty unconventional background and journey into HR and hoping that sharing that encourages someone else to leap into HR if they were thinking about it.”
This quote highlights her unique entry into HR and her desire to inspire others to consider similar paths.
“we created Wellness at Matterport, which encourages our community to actively take care of their health in a holistic way, both physically, mentally, and financially. So I wanted to create a culture of wellbeing by offering programs that put employees' health in the forefront.”
This defines the core philosophy and comprehensive approach behind the wellness initiatives at Matterport.
“our utilization of benefits actually went way, way up, which I actually see as a positive. I know it's not always a positive for a lot of different companies, but our employees were able to fit in gym sessions, afternoon walks, yoga classes between meetings, you know, walking meetings, taking care of their health in ways they just weren't able to in the past.”
This illustrates a positive and perhaps counter-intuitive outcome of remote work: increased employee well-being and engagement with health benefits.
“Every year it's a different need and I think that's the most successful thing that anybody can do when putting wellness programs in place, uh, be adaptable. Not one year is the same.”
This emphasizes the critical need for flexibility and responsiveness in designing and implementing wellness initiatives.
“I generally treat each region as a separate entity. So my US community will have different needs and wants than my UK team.”
This highlights a key strategy for effective global HR: localization of benefits and wellness programs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
“HR, I think, is often thought of being primarily people-focused, but applying data and metrics truly does help get a lot of initiatives moving forward.”
This stresses the strategic importance of quantitative data and analytics in HR to gain leadership buy-in and demonstrate program value.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees' number one concern in 2024 is covering monthly expenses, indicating a need for financial wellness solutions beyond traditional benefits.
- •New graduates or career changers face significant difficulty breaking into HR roles without prior internship experience, often leading to roles like office management as a stepping stone.
- •Global companies struggle to offer universally relevant benefits and wellness programs, as regional needs, cultural contexts, and mental health priorities vary significantly (e.g., US/UK vs. Singapore).
- •Employee burnout and screen fatigue, especially during the pandemic, necessitate proactive wellness initiatives like mindful apps, no-meeting Fridays, and stress reduction programs.
- •HR initiatives often struggle to gain traction and leadership approval if they are not supported by compelling data and metrics, challenging the perception of HR as solely 'people-focused'.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
Dave has had a pretty unconventional background and journey into HR
Dispatches: My Unorthodox Journey into HR
Working remotely increases productivity, reduces stress levels, and improves work-life balance
How Remote Work Is Affecting Employee Wellbeing
Erin says it's important to be adaptable when putting wellness programs
Have WeWorks' Wellness Programs Been Adaptable?
Matterport is a global company with wellness initiatives tailored to each region
Matterport's Global Wellbeing Program
What metrics do you use to assess effectiveness of your wellness programs in hybrid work
What Metrics Do You Use to Evaluate Well-being Programs
Erin has some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on Built My Podcast
Erin On The Built My Podcast
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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