Interview with Andrew Gibbons, Group Head of Wellbeing, HSBC

What does it mean to you to be a Global Healthy Workplace Awards winner?

I feel very proud that HSBC is a Global Healthy Workplace Awards winner. It is especially meaningful given the immense strain caused by the pandemic – prioritisation of wellbeing has never been more important. I’m also proud to work for an organisation that prioritises wellbeing and to work alongside a talented global team.

What do you think are the particular strengths of your programme?

The wellbeing programme looks to address all areas of wellbeing, mental, physical, financial and social. It’s also globally consistent, colleagues in all 64 countries and territories get access to the same type of resources and support regardless of geographic location or role. Because our programme is guided by data and feedback from our colleagues, our approach continually evolves and ensures our services remain relevant and useful.

Where do you see the main challenges of creating a healthy workplace in the current environment and for the future?

As choice and flexibility become more commonplace, and boundaries between work and home become more blurred, businesses will need to continually evolve their wellbeing services to adequately support a more hybrid workforce. This means addressing emerging challenges around reduced in-person connections, communications and collaboration, and work-life balance. This is one of the reasons we formalised social wellbeing as a new pillar of our programme.

How would you describe the role of wellbeing as component of your ESG strategy? 

Wellbeing is – and will remain – a key enabler of HSBC’s ESG strategy and purpose of opening up a world of opportunity. We recognise that the pandemic has left an indelible mark on people and will impact wellbeing for years to come. We firmly believe that proactively supporting our colleagues across 64 countries and territories to be healthier and happier, will ensure the success of our business, and the people and communities we serve.

What advice would you give to an employer thinking of developing a new programme?

Businesses can make change happen by talking – and listening – to their people. Ask your people how they are doing and what they need. At HSBC, our Employee Resource Groups and people surveys, which more than 120,000 colleagues respond to, provide us with valuable insights that inform our strategy. By relying on robust data and lived-experiences, businesses will get to the heart of what really matters most, develop suitable solutions and measure their impact on the mental health of their people. As business continues to navigate through periods of uncertainty and volatility, the need to collaborate and share best practices with peers and experts has never been more important and should be an essential part of any wellbeing response.

View HSBC’s profile and Awards presentation: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/profile/hsbc-multinational-employer-awards-winner/

Learn more about the 2021 Summit: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/event/9th-global-healthy-workplace-summit-virtual-2021/

Learn more about the Awards: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/awards/application/