For over 40 years, IDEO has helped organisations design breakthrough products, services, brands, and experiences. Through that process, their clients build new capabilities, and develop and implement strategies that drive value.
IDEO initially supported employee wellbeing by providing an Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) in some locations, and access to a counsellor in others.
When EAP usage was consistently reported as very low, it was clear they needed a more innovative and accessible solution that they could offer across all European locations. So, the team decided to enhance their existing mental health offering with Spill!
Confidential support that employees can trust
“Our decision to introduce Spill was prompted by our Talent Team and our group of internal Mental Health First Aiders. The ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic highlighted the need to remove barriers and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health support,” says Emily Cooper, HR Director.
“We aimed to transition from a reactive approach to a proactive one when it comes to employee wellbeing. Our engagement with Spill began with an informative speaker series, and after researching providers in this space we were impressed by Spill's integrations with Slack and the availability of their counsellors. A successful trial period with positive feedback from our teams solidified our decision to officially partner with Spill.
Introducing Spill required some effort to educate our community and raise awareness of its benefits. Initially, there was skepticism regarding the confidentiality of the platform, but over time, trust grew as we received increasingly positive feedback. It felt incredibly fulfilling to demonstrate our commitment to the mental health of our employees and our ability to provide competent and timely support when needed.”
“I’ve tried to access therapy in the past, however it was very difficult to find someone who specialised in the kind of therapy I needed. This also depends on what the health insurance provider covers.
I had a very difficult childhood, I lost both my parents at a very young age. In three consecutive years I also lost family members who were very close to me. Growing up, I experienced traumatic abuse. So there was a pattern of grief, pain, loneliness, and added responsibilities as a young child.
Sometimes when I feel a trigger, then it's difficult to concentrate at work. All I need is a breather moment to pause. Despite challenging times I still feel confident to say that I'm proud of myself to be able to cope and still deliver great work.
I was one of the testers of Spill when we were initially trialing it so I already had an idea of what to expect. During the sessions, I felt supported and understood. After some time, I realised there were many emotions that I needed to process and acknowledge. So I advise to find a good cadence for the sessions together with your therapist.
My Spill therapist is specialised in handling trauma (she is an expert when it comes to this field). I feel listened to, I feel heard, I feel safe — what I appreciate the most is how she gives me techniques to use when I'm in a triggering situation, and she also explains to me what she thinks is the reason I react to certain things.
Therapy changed my life for the good. Growing up in the Philippines, mental health was considered a very taboo topic. This is the sad reality. The ratio is 1 psychologist to 80,000 Filipinos, which meant I never had access to therapy.
I now feel more confident at work. My contributions have taken on a fresh zeal, and I find myself inspiring and motivating my team. Embracing vulnerability alongside strategic people leadership is my approach. I am not afraid to voice out my opinions, and I've observed my colleagues appreciate that.
Without a doubt, I would wholeheartedly recommend Spill. The flexibility of therapists' availability is commendable, making therapy feasible even outside traditional work hours.
I'm proud to see that mental wellbeing is an integral part of our company's values. It's truly heartwarming to hear positive feedback from our colleagues. I see this as a great company benefit.
In my role as an HR professional, I believe it's of utmost importance to promote normalizing discussions around mental health. This is essential in creating a workplace environment where individuals feel safe and empowered to share their mental well-being concerns openly. By doing so, I can contribute to cultivating a culture that values empathy and support, which, in turn, can lead to enhanced mental health, job satisfaction, and overall employee happiness. This, I believe, is not just beneficial for individual employees but also pivotal for the organization's overall success and resilience.”
Heightened focus on team wellbeing
“We've observed a significant shift in our company's culture since implementing Spill. There is now a greater willingness to openly discuss mental health, and people are utilising new coaching tools acquired through therapy to check in with each other more frequently. Wellbeing has become an integral part of our project meetings, planning, and debriefs, and we've noticed a heightened focus on team wellbeing, especially during challenging deadlines.
We track the usage of Spill through anonymised statistics in the tool, which consistently show an upward trend, confirming its regular and positive uptake. Moreover, we receive valuable feedback both through the platform's feedback tool and personal interactions with our teams. Additionally, we gauge the impact on our community's wellbeing through employee engagement surveys, and we anticipate analysing recent results to provide further insights.
Spill has played a pivotal role in fostering open conversations about mental health within our team. In the future we would like to use the team check in tool more to assess teams health and wellbeing over time.”
“The benefits of providing mental health support far outweigh the cost. It is vital that mental health is prioritised within the modern workplace. You won't regret making the choice to use Spill to support your team's mental health.”
