A new workplace happiness app created by two digital pioneers is crowdfunding to revolutionise how companies measure and enhance wellbeing and productivity.
Me@mybest is a real-time analytics platform which provides employees with personalised insights into the factors affecting their wellbeing, as well as the tools to help improve their happiness.
It also provides anonymous data back to the company about its culture.
The app was created by Dr George MacKerron, chief technology officer at research company Psychological Technologies (PSYT) and chief executive Nick Begley, former head of research at Headspace.
While at London Scool of Economics (LSE), MacKerron ran the world’s largest study into momentary happiness, Mappiness, and found from 3.5 million data points that the nation’s unhappiest activity, second only to being ill in bed, was working.
Me@mybest is aiming to raise £600,000 through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, and has already reached almost 90 per cent of its target thanks to support from angel investors.
“We want to show businesses how improving the mental wellbeing of their employees links directly to profitability within their own companies, giving them permission to make the investments needed to help solve this problem,” Begley said.
“The technology we’ve developed also provides detailed insights on how to create the best culture and offer effective, scalable, low-cost interventions to immediately boost wellbeing. We’re now looking to roll out our technology more widely.”
The company already has the support of Paul Daniels, former owner of New Covent Garden Soup and chairman of the Angel Investment Network; Kevan Jones, a specialist in organisational behaviour change and partner at a top tier strategy consultancy; and Ruby Wax, comedian and mental health advocate.
Alongside the crowdfunding appeal, PSYT has released the findings of a study which suggests that a 1 per cent increase in the happiness of every employee could add an extra £24bn to the UK economy every year.
The study tracked the mood of more than 1,500 employees using a data collection method where respondents are asked to reflect on their wellbeing briefly throughout the day, over a period of four weeks.
From more than 56,000 responses, PSYT was able to develop a unique understanding of workplace environments and what creates happier and more productive staff.