My job: A vital part of health sector

Dr Clara Soper says healthier workers are more productive.Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Dr Clara Soper
Role: Operations director, Vitality Works
Age: 33
Working hours: 7am to 5.30pm-ish
Salary range for similar positions: $70K-$150K
Qualifications: BSc and MSc (Hons) (University of Auckland), PhD (AUT)

Describe your job.

Vitality Works offers health and wellness programmes for workplaces, schools, families and community organisations.

I work with a team of three account managers to ensure the services we provide to our clients are the very best, both for the employees participating but also for the employer. I ensure our account managers have the knowledge and skills to implement the required service and programme. And I work on our internal system to improve the efficiency and productivity of the Vitality Works team.

I take the lead role in the analysis of health data which employers use to review the health profile of their workforce and the return on investment data once programmes have been implemented.

Our clients are spread all over New Zealand. I spend most of my time in Auckland and Wellington as this is where you find the head offices with the human resources teams.

The number of workplaces I visit each week varies ... could be only a couple one week and maybe seven another week.

What is Vitality Works?

Vitality Works has been around since 2002. It came about when my sister and I finished our PhDs and decided to put our education into real life. My sister's husband, a professor of public health, was also instrumental in establishing Vitality Works.

For the first 18 months it was just the two of us working in my nephew's bedroom. We now have eight permanent staff and a team of associates and contractors around New Zealand.

Our programmes include the 10,000 Steps Programme, employee health checks, a four-week team lifestyle challenge, smoking cessation programmes and a range of seminars and workshops on topics ranging from men's health to the psychology of happiness. We have run programmes in Australia and London; however our focus is the New Zealand market.

Your work background?

Before Vitality Works, I was involved in elite sport, working with NZ rowing and NZ bowls. I was a biomechanist for the NZ Academy of Sport.

I specialise in sport and exercise science and am a level III anthropometrist, which is someone who measures the musculoskeletal system ... limb length, girths, body fat ... You use anthropometry in some biomechanical assessments.

Why do businesses need to employ someone to improve staff wellbeing?

There is unequivocal evidence that healthier employees are more productive than colleagues who smoke or have high risk of cardiovascular disease. We know that healthier employers are absent from work less, are more productive and are engaged more in their workplace.

What businesses use the service?

We work across the white- and blue-collar industry ... small boutique accounting firms to organisations with 10,000 plus employees, public and private sector.

We work closely with organisations' senior management to determine employees' needs. Often these are identified by providing face-to face health checks or online health checks so that high risk areas are identified.

Employers are aware of the direct link between employee health and productivity - therefore most provide time within work hours to attend seminars, participate in behaviour change programmes, have one-on-one coaching etc.

Why is your job important?

Making people aware they do have control over their health and showing them that making small changes will help is incredibly important.

The job's main challenges?

From an internal perspective, we have a seasonal effect in our business. Spring and summer are peak times so forward planning and organisation is essential for our team.

Externally, in the current economic climate, some organisations' budgets are tight and wellness can be seen as discretionary spend. However Vitality Works has credible New Zealand-based information showing return on investments which helps with this.

The best part of your job?

I love meeting people in different companies and finding out what they do. There are some amazing jobs out there. The other great part comes after we have implemented the programmes and services. We meet the management teams and talk about health and productivity, and we can talk specifically about their workforce. It is powerful when you are providing information about their people; not just overseas data.

What do you do to relax and for exercise?

I enter events to ensure I keep motivated with exercise ... half marathons usually. I am also having golf lessons - a great way to relax and get out of the house.

Advice to those interested in a similar role?

Jump in with your eyes wide open. We have had a great time developing Vitality Works over the last six years. It has been challenging but I have learnt and experienced more than I could have imagined.

The health and wellness industry is cementing its place in workplaces. Nothing is more effective than people interacting with people. This is the key attribute that we look for in our employees and associates.