Success story: JE Dunn's journey to enhanced wellbeing

In the construction industry, where employees routinely face physically demanding and challenging environments, prioritizing employee wellbeing is mission critical. JE Dunn Construction, one of the largest general contractors in the United States, understands the crucial role that employee wellbeing plays in sustaining a strong, engaged workforce. With over 5,000 employees operating out of 26 offices, JE Dunn doesn’t just build structures; for over 100 years, they’ve built a community of excellence where employee wellbeing is crucial.  

At the heart of JE Dunn’s wellbeing initiatives is Anne Wright, a seasoned benefits manager with 18 years of experience dedicated to enhancing the health and happiness of JE Dunn’s employees. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Anne to learn more about her approach to wellbeing, and how the resources of the Navigate platform have been an invaluable asset to her organization.

In this case study, we’ll explore how Navigate worked closely with JE Dunn to successfully transform their approach to employee wellbeing, and the positive impact these initiatives have had on their workforce. 

Identifying organizational goals and previous obstacles 

Before implementing a new wellbeing program for JE Dunn, it was crucial for Navigate to thoroughly understand the existing challenges that they faced, along with their long-term organizational goals. To achieve this, we worked closely with Anne, whose insights and experiences were crucial for identifying the stumbling blocks that hindered the success of the previous program.  

• Partnership: JE Dunn’s experience with their previous wellbeing provider left them feeling isolated and without true partnership. This lack of collaboration significantly impacted the effectiveness and efficiency of the wellbeing program.

• Implementation: Anne’s team was previously burdened with designing, creating, scheduling, and implementing wellbeing challenges independently. This consumed valuable time and resources, diverting focus from other important aspects of employee wellbeing.

• Customization: JE Dunn emphasized the need for their program to be tailored to their unique culture. It became apparent that a "one-size-fits-all" approach was not practical. A more bespoke approach would be needed to meet the needs of their diverse workforce.

• Enhanced data analytics: JE Dunn recognized the need for dynamic analytical tools to provide actionable insights, highlighting areas where employees need support.

Alignment with guiding principles: It became clear that integrating wellbeing initiatives with JE Dunn’s core guiding principles—such as families first, health and wellbeing, serving others, integrity, and excellence—was essential to continue developing a cohesive and value-driven approach to growth. 

Building a true partnership

The team at JE Dunn emphasized early on that they were looking for a partner, not just a provider, and their past experiences had underscored the importance of this distinction. Anne Wright articulated this sentiment, noting, "...initially the most difficult part for us with our prior partner was just the relationship. So we didn't feel like we had a true partnership." This lack of a collaborative spirit was a significant obstacle, leaving the JE Dunn team feeling isolated in their efforts to implement effective wellness programs.

The necessity for a true partnership became even more apparent when comparing their past experiences with what they found in Navigate. Anne elaborated, "I felt for the first time in 15 plus years from our prior vendor that we really had somebody listening to what we were trying to accomplish and move our program further."  

This sense of collaboration and partnership allowed JE Dunn to envision new possibilities and elevate their wellbeing initiatives to new heights. The transition to Navigate represented not just a change in vendors, but a significant shift towards a more effective employee wellbeing program that profoundly impacted JE Dunn employees' engagement, health, and overall satisfaction.  

Providing a seamless transition  

JE Dunn had a longstanding 15-year relationship with their previous wellbeing provider, so a smooth and thoughtful transition was critical. The transition process called for migrating over 5,000 employees onto Navigate's platform, while maintaining continuity and focusing on improving service quality.

Reflecting on the transition, Anne noted, "I can imagine it would be a more difficult, challenging experience for your team or any wellbeing partner to take on an organization like ours that has had a longstanding program that can be kind of regimented." Anne also recognized the role that our account services team played in the ease of the transition. "We've been lucky enough to have Jad Khalil on our account from day one. He's not only knowledgeable, but he's attentive, he's responsive, he's incredibly generous, and just as a human being, I actually really enjoy Jad."

Despite the potential challenges, Navigate was able to successfully migrate JE Dunn’s employee population onto our platform without disturbing daily operations or compromising the quality of its employee wellbeing program. 

Wellbeing challenge implementation

With their previous wellbeing provider, JE Dunn was forced to shoulder the burden of managing and implementing wellbeing challenges from start to finish. This process was time-consuming and took focus away from more critical responsibilities.

Anne highlighted the daunting effort, commenting, "We had to design, create, schedule, implement all of our own challenges…taking all of the management off your plate so that you're not worried about eligibility files...that's one of the coolest things that any wellbeing vendor should do, and Navigate is very good at it."

The Navigate platform features an extensive library of challenge content that makes implementation effortless for our partners. By utilizing our platform, JE Dunn could focus on evaluating the outcomes and refining the strategy rather than grappling with operational logistics. This shift enabled the team to devote their talents and energies to improving the employee experience and further supporting their culture of health and wellbeing. 

Customizing wellbeing programs with data  

A one-size-fits-all approach failed to cater to JE Dunn’s distinct corporate culture. Anne Wright observed, "Wellbeing programs tailored to your employee culture…was something that we were just so thrilled with Navigate."

By utilizing Navigate’s Total Health solution, JE Dunn has created customized programs that address their workforce's specific needs and preferences. Anne notes, "I'm a data geek by nature, so I love the ability to access our employee data in a way obviously de-identified, but in a way that allows me to understand where do we have the opportunity? What's the low-hanging fruit? Are our people asking for help with financial wellbeing? So then I know where I have some opportunities to offer some additional programming to help them or to ensure that that total health survey is going to push them to the financial wellbeing articles and workshops that they can participate in. So data is paramount to me personally, but certainly incredibly important at JE Dunn. And I think too it's really a way how you learn about your people."

Navigate Total Health is a comprehensive, data-driven approach to well-being that leverages survey insights to develop personalized well-being programs for each participant. The Total Health Survey collects key information on lifestyle, medical and family history, biometrics, and personal goals. This data is then analyzed to create tailored program recommendations to maximize impact and support each individual’s unique health journey.

With the insights gained from Navigate’s data-driven approach, JE Dunn can now pinpoint key areas for improvement and introduce initiatives that resonate with their employees’ specific needs, fostering a culture of health and wellbeing that is both effective and aligned with their corporate values. 

Closing reflections

Partnering with Navigate marked a significant milestone for JE Dunn, empowering the company to go beyond traditional wellness programs and implement an integrated solution tailored to its unique culture and objectives. The partnership with Navigate not only resolved previous challenges but also positioned JE Dunn as a leader in fostering a workforce where wellbeing and corporate success go hand in hand. Through the transformative power of a true partnership and the critical role of customization in achieving successful health and wellness outcomes for employees.  

We cherish our partnership with JE Dunn and look forward to continuing our shared success for years to come.

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