Health service providers are, as they say, a dime a dozen. In all areas such as health management, health promotion, occupational health and safety and integration management, you are spoilt for choice. It's easy to lose track.
Above all, the very different offers make comparison difficult. There are established providers that specialise more in consulting. There are innovative providers that are breaking completely new and digital ground. We have picked out 16 exciting BGM providers for you that you should definitely not miss. Each of these service providers has a different focus and solves the challenges in their own unique way. There is certainly something for every company to take a holistic approach to corporate health.
"The market for service providers really is very opaque. In German-speaking countries alone, we are talking about over 7,000 service providers."
Tobias Wrighton, EUPD Research - Corporate Health Department
Differentiating between providers is not easy. If you ask Google, you will get many different opinions on how they can be categorised. According to Tobias Wrighton, expert for the OHM sector at EUPD Research, the market for service providers is very opaque. As he explains in our Expert panel there are over 7,000 BGM service providers in Germany alone.
We would like to summarise here the criteria that can be used to categorise the various providers of occupational health management. If you define for yourself which criteria you are looking for, you will also find the right occupational health management provider.
The first step is to distinguish between the generalists and the specialists. If you look at the OHM process, it ranges from strategy development to analysis, objective setting, action planning and action implementation through to evaluation.
Generalists | Specialists |
In this case, generalists take care of all components of the process. So if you don't have an OHM yet, you can get an overview first. | The specialists have specialised in one of the sub-areas. For example, they specialise in analysis (employee survey) or the implementation of measures (bicycle leasing). |
The term OHM provider is often equated with the term OHF provider. However, this is not entirely correct, as OHM also covers other areas and is more about the overarching strategy. Within OHM, one can then subdivide according to the different areas.
Choosing the right provider can also make sense depending on the type of offer. There are major differences, especially in the area of health promotion. If you know exactly what you need, you can work well with this categorisation.
Guest: Tobis Wrighton. He is responsible for the Corporate Health Department at EUPD Research and has been involved with the various service providers in the OHM market for many years.
Purchase criteria that must be met
According to our expert Tobias Wrighton, service providers must excel in the following purchasing criteria in particular: quality, positive effects on health, adherence to timings and specifications, value for money and service orientation. These criteria were analysed in the CHES study by EUPD Research weighted in this order.
quality
The quality of service is the most important factor for many companies. This makes perfect sense, as a service that does not achieve the desired result due to a lack of quality does not add any value to the health of employees.
Positive effects on health
Employee health is of course the focus of occupational health management. That is why service providers should not only act as a benefit or appreciation measure. Appreciation is also important, but health must play a primary role.
Adherence to timings and specifications
In principle, adhering to timings and specifications should be a priority in the business world and in private life. Nevertheless, some service providers struggle with customer care. Here, however, the devil is in the detail. After all, customers who can rely on fast and smooth processing are satisfied customers.
Price-performance ratio
Although the price-performance ratio is only rated as very important by 48%, money is always an issue in OHM. Services and offers must fit into the budget, which is often not as high as OHM teams would like.
Service
Customer support is also always an important issue when it comes to health programmes. OHM managers want fast and easily accessible support for themselves and their employees. Otherwise, questions and problems will accumulate in the OHM team, leading to unnecessary stress.
After the corona pandemic, one thing is clear: health is extremely important and illness damages business. If we are honest, it was already clear beforehand that sick days cost money, but sick days per person have risen significantly in recent years. So it's no wonder that employee health is one of the main objectives of health management (it's kind of in the name). What is perhaps more surprising is that OHM is also always a factor for employer attractiveness and employee satisfaction. On the other hand, the correlation between these two objectives cannot be denied, as healthy employees are often also satisfied employees. However, health is not limited to the physical aspect, but above all to the mental aspect and a safe workplace in all respects.
However, one goal is quite surprising DeepDive BGM - Pulse Check. Only 64% of respondents stated that fulfilment of legal requirements is a primary objective.
We have already seen what different service providers there are in the field of health management. But now the question arises as to what you should look out for when comparing service providers. There are some signs that the providers have already been tested and approved by other customers or organisations.
When making your selection, you will certainly look at a few websites and webinars or trade fair appearances. Listen to your gut feeling when it comes to professionalism.
Does the website make a good impression? Does it look modern and tidy? Is the offer clear and transparent? Do the webinars only present products or do they really offer added value for you and your work? Is the trade fair stand attractive and with a clear message?
If you can answer yes to these questions, the company is usually also very professional in other areas.
Look out for independent awards or customer reviews.
You can actually find customer testimonials on every website in the form of quotes or Success stories. Make sure that these are meaningful and that they cover the areas that are important to you. It can also be useful to pay attention to which companies are listed there (similar size to you, similar sector, well-known names).
As our expert Tobias Wrighton explained in the expert panel, EUPD, for example, offers a seal of quality for BGM providers to make the market more transparent. With the "Top Brand Corporate Health" award, EUPD makes it much easier to find the best service providers. In the expert panel, you can find out which criteria are used to select the top brands.
So look out for this seal, for example, when you look around:
As the health of your employees is at stake, data protection is an important issue. You should therefore check whether a mature and clear data protection concept is in place, especially for digital solutions.
How innovative is the company and its offering? Especially when it comes to digital solutions, it is important to know whether a company is innovative or not. When it comes to consulting, however, it can also be important whether providers can adapt to new environments or whether they are stuck in the same old rut.
Test the product! Ideally, several employees should be able to try out the product for a certain period of time so that you can see whether it suits your company.
The 21done coaching app can be used to promote important skills for healthy working. By developing habits, the skills are to be promoted more strongly than with conventional training programmes. Employees can select a relevant growth goal and then complete a 21-day plan supported by coaches and AI.
There are 21 skills to choose from, such as fitness, self-care, resilience, time management and creative thinking.
More information: www.21done.de
B-A-D is definitely one of the established BGM providers in Germany and has been offering a variety of health and safety programmes for more than 45 years.
Over the years, the company has developed its offering into a comprehensive system for the health of employees in companies. The holistic health management services cover topics such as workplace health promotion, the Employee Assistance Programme, skills development, BEM, risk assessment, consulting and digital health services.
More information: www.bad-gmbh.de
Brainrooms is also all about gamification. But in a completely different way. Brainrooms develops digital escape rooms for OHM, recruiting, personnel development and much more. The rooms can be individually designed and branded so that they are as recognisable as possible. The rooms increase participation, allow employees to apply what they have learnt immediately and also strengthen the sense of togetherness.
There are even experts in the field of BGF and prevention available to develop the content together with you.
More information: www.brainrooms.de
The Changers Fit app offers various competitions to improve the health of the workforce in a fun way. As one of the pioneers of gamification in the field of occupational health management, the app not only promotes health but also climate protection. By organising CO2 challenges or planting trees as an incentive, Changers is constantly trying to have a positive impact on the climate.
Two packages are available: Basic and Premium. The Basic version includes the protected company area with various challenges. The Premium version includes additional functions such as employee surveys and a home office carbon footprint. The service is also better in the premium package, as there is a personal contact person for you and participants can contact the helpdesk independently. This takes the pressure off the administrators.
More information: www.changers.com
Isa from Deep Care is the first AI-based health coach for office workers and anyone working from home. Isa provides low-threshold advice on ergonomics, dynamic sitting, standing desk use, exercise, breaks and hydration. As a result, employees develop healthy routines and not only improve their well-being, but also prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
Processing within the company works via a closed-loop model, meaning that there is virtually no work for the BGM team. Employees book their Isa themselves, have it delivered to the desired location and use it for 6-12 weeks.
Additional functions such as special back training, special neck training, workshops, individual coaching or the digital risk assessment can also be booked.
More information: www.deep-care.de
Fruitful Office brings the fruit basket not only to the office, but also to the home office. Regardless of size, sector or location, Fruitful Office can guarantee the supply of high-quality, healthy fruit for every company.
A special fruit calculator is available for ordering and you can choose between different packages and intervals. The fruit is delivered directly and employees can always enjoy fresh fruit. Afterwards, the basket is collected again and a new one is brought until you decide otherwise.
More information: www.fruitfuloffice.de
With the Humanoo app and the Humanoo Health OS, Humanoo offers two products for your occupational health management. This simplifies the health service for companies.
The app is designed for mental and physical health, including 1-on-1 video coaching, personalised content, challenges, quizzes, rewards, surveys and many other functions.
The Humanoo Health OS is a dashboard for the automation and management of health management. It offers centralised control of measures and aggregated reporting.
More information: www.humanoo.com
With the Likeminded solution, you can strengthen the mental health of employees and thus the performance of the entire company.
The platform offers easy access to more than 100 therapists, psychologists and coaches. Among other things, it offers one-to-one sessions, group workshops, exchange groups and webinars. There is also a media centre with helpful tips.
If you choose Likeminded, your needs will first be analysed and an offer tailored to you will be drawn up. You will receive personalised support throughout the entire process. At the end, you will receive detailed reports so that your success can be measured.
More information: www.likeminded.care
The mesana health check-up bridges the gap between a fitness tracker and medical diagnostics. The 48-hour measurement, which is carried out with the help of the sensor, provides test persons with a meaningful health report. This shows relevant correlations and provides specific recommendations for action for sustainable positive effects on health.
The first step is a lifestyle check-up. This includes a comprehensive screening of everyday activity, stress, sleep, etc. Then the measurement takes place. The heart muscle activity is measured for relevant data. This is followed by a telephone consultation.
More information: www.mesana.com
Mindance was founded in 2017 and is now part of the pme Familienservice Group with over 2,000 employees. They have made it their mission to create a digital world for health promotion.
The company offers an all-in-one solution for EAP, health and leadership. You can use the app, a web platform, live coaching, events and health management. A psychological risk assessment is also part of the portfolio.
More information: www.mindance.de
MOVEVO specialises in health as a team experience. In the MOVEVO app, colleagues can playfully work on their health and develop healthy routines. Various challenges are available to help you balance your workload. Another option is the MOVE section, with short videos on specific topics. With the help of an interface to Google Fit or Apple Health, steps are also recorded directly in the app and contribute to the movement points.
One particular highlight is the MOVE DAYS, which take place every year and encourage many companies and employees to get more exercise.
More information: www.movevo.app
Scalefit is dedicated to the ergonomics of deskless workers. They carry out ergonomics analyses, digital risk assessments, benchmarking, evaluation of exoskeleton use and health workshops. They use biomechanics, scientific expertise and software know-how to create healthy workplaces.
More information: www.scalefit.de
On the one hand, Senseble offers an app that is a 360° solution for strengthening physical and mental health and, on the other hand, the agency that supports companies with their health strategy.
The app offers on-demand content, live events, 1:1 coaching, challenges, company screen and video communication, among other things.
More information: www.senseble.de
Sentics has set itself the goal of creating an accident-free working environment. Through computer vision and innovative AI technology, Sentics has developed the first real-time visual localisation for safe and efficient industrial environments. They specialise in vehicle safety, infrastructure safety and truck loading and unloading processes.
With the dashboard, companies can track security performance in real time and track KPIs.
More information: www.sentics.de
Wellhub is the wellbeing package for employees, with offers from the areas of fitness, mindfulness, nutrition and sleep in one subscription. Companies offer Wellhub to their employees, who then choose the package that suits them and use it as they see fit.
With over 50,000 fitness studios and more than 70 wellbeing apps, there is something for everyone.
More information: www.wellhub.com