When aiming for sustainable change, it’s important that you make starting as easy as possible. When Svea Bank’s employees expressed a wish to improve break-taking during the workday, the company took the suggestion seriously and decided to try out Cuckoo’s wellbeing app to enhance workplace wellbeing. Today, Svea is building a sustainable work culture with the help of Cuckoo.
A key factor in Svea’s successful onboarding was the exceptionally well-executed trial period before making a final decision. For Svea, a culture of experimentation is important: employees are involved, and their wishes are taken into account. Svea and Cuckoo planned the trial together, including its content and goals. After the trial, they collected feedback, and the decision to move forward was based on feedback results.
“The feedback from the trial was excellent, which is why we wanted to launch the service for the entire staff. Involving employees is important to us – we don’t want initiatives to come only from HR,” says Mia Tuomisto, HR Director at Svea.
Svea also appreciated how quickly Cuckoo responded to suggestions for improvement.
“During the trial, we made a few development suggestions, and Cuckoo acted on them immediately. This made us feel valued as a customer – our feedback was truly appreciated, and actions were taken swiftly,” says Ria Hultin, HR Specialist at Svea.
The onboarding of Cuckoo was experienced as smooth, and the tailored launch materials received a lot of praise.
“There wasn’t much internal work needed for the launch. The ready-made materials made things easier, and it was great that the materials matched Cuckoo’s brand and were easily recognisable,” Hultin adds.
Within the first three months, half of Svea’s employees had registered for Cuckoo. The most active users came from customer service and development – areas where work is either static or cognitively demanding. Developers in particular praised Cuckoo for supporting both cognitive performance and physical wellbeing.
“In expert work, looking after cognitive wellbeing is extremely important. The brain is a muscle too, and it needs regular training,” Tuomisto reminds us.
Cuckoo also plays a role in Svea’s twice-yearly Wellness Weeks, where one week focuses on physical wellbeing and the other on mental wellbeing. The app’s challenge feature has received special praise for being easily customisable to fit Svea’s culture.
A central goal for Svea in using Cuckoo was to build a sustainable work culture that supports employees’ wishes and goals. Before starting the collaboration, goals for using Cuckoo were defined together with HR, occupational safety, and a Cuckoo expert. After three months of use, Cuckoo sent a survey to staff to evaluate how taking breaks impacted their wellbeing.
One of the main goals was to reduce sitting and improve overall alertness. Survey responses revealed that Cuckoo had helped increase movement during the workday and created a more energised feeling.
“Breaks clearly lighten the day and leave me feeling more refreshed after work,” shared one respondent.
More than half of those who responded said they felt more refreshed during the workday thanks to using Cuckoo. Nearly half also noted that their thinking was clearer and they felt more productive. Employees gave Cuckoo an impressive overall rating of 4.3 out of 5.
Based on feedback, internal competitions have proven especially popular and are planned to be organised regularly. In the spring, there will be a challenge to encourage outdoor activities and active commuting, and after the summer holidays, efforts will focus on helping employees re-establish their break routines when returning to work.
With the help of Cuckoo, Svea is steadily building a sustainable work culture where wellbeing is a natural part of daily life. Wellbeing isn’t just a campaign – it’s a core way of working that Svea wants to develop and embed into everyday routines. Cuckoo’s ease of use and versatile features support Svea’s goal of creating a sustainable, inclusive, and wellbeing-oriented work culture for the long term.
Would you like to hear how Cuckoo could support your organisation’s wellbeing goals? Get in touch with us and and let’s talk!
