It’s probably fair to say that most the booming number of wearable devices exist in the health and wellness sectors, with the likes of FitBit offering us a range of monitoring and tracking services related to our health and fitness.
There are a growing number of such wearable devices emerging in the workplace however, with many aiming to improve our levels of productivity and engagement.
For instance, Japanese company KeyValue launched a smart cushion device last year, that comes with inbuilt employee analytics.
The cushion can be fitted to a regular office chair, with the inside of the device containing a pressure sensor that can detect if and when the chair is being used. This data is then sent to a computer via a sensor built into the cushion itself.
The aim of the device is to provide managers with insight into how often a chair is being used, with a potential for also encouraging employees to get up and exercise if they’ve been sedentary for too long.
Exercise now
The Vigo device attempts to achieve a similar thing, albeit via a different route. It comes in the form of a wearable sensor that claims to be able to detect drowsiness, whilst also providing both the wearer (and your boss) with real time data on how alert (and therefore productive) you are.
It does this by monitoring your blinking patterns, with an algorithm then used to determine your level of alertness. The device comes with a range of notifications to alert you if you’re becoming drowsy.
Tracking productivity
One of the latest wearable devices to hit the market is BetterWorks, which is a performance tracking device that offers managers the opportunity to monitor their entire workforce in realtime via a simple smartphone app (and of course eventually via devices such as the Apple watch).
A similar tool, albeit in badge form, is Humanyze, which combines a range of sensors, including accelerometer and microphone. This data is then made available to employers who can use it to improve productivity.
The data collected on each employee includes things such as how far they walk, the tone of their voice when they talk and even their posture as they talk to colleagues or customers.
As with many of the other wearable devices, the data is uploaded to a dashboard where it can be analyzed alongside various other business metrics.
One interesting feature of the device is that it makes creating an A/B test relatively straightforward.
Interesting results
The project itself was born out of the MIT Media Lab, and they have already begun trying the device out at the Bank of America, where 10,000 employees are wearing the badge as they work.
The initial experiment has already produced some fascinating results. For instance, it emerged that the most employee interaction occurred during the overlap of their lunchbreaks.
This discovery prompted the organization to try a staggered lunch schedule to try and encourage greater interaction between employees.
What’s more, they discovered that a group lunch was very positive on a number of scores, including a reduction in stress levels and employee productivity.
It probably goes without saying that the devil is always in the detail, and the Humanize badge makes sure to anonymize data so that the employer cannot identify particular employees, and they have to be tracked with their explicit consent.
It’s an interesting example of how workplace management is being increasingly data focused, and the new wave of wearable devices is underpinning such an experimental approach.
It's very clever, don't get me wrong, but this level of monitoring gives me the creeps. It seems to be just a bit too far.
That's certainly going to be a challenge to overcome if these kind of monitoring/tracking devices are ever going to go mainstream.
If companies spent less time and money spying on employees in an effort to make them more productive, they would find their companies far more productive.
Humans require a level of privacy to feel secure.
I cannot help but think surveillance like this is going to create a dreadful work environment as it must undermine trust, surely.
Calling themselves Humanyze, is that something of a joke? They should have gone with Dehumanyze instead!
Maybe the first step with devices such as this is to ensure they're fitted to the powerful, and of course the developers, so that everyone can see exactly what THEY do. Only when they're happy with such 'transparency' should it then cascade down.
Great idea Nick, although I'm not sure how many willing 'subjects' you'd find.
As an employer myself, I'd run a mile from anything even remotely like this kind of technology. No thank you.
It seems a very expensive way to do what managers could/should be doing just by walking around and actually managing their workforce. I have to wonder what on earth the point of it is?