19 Jun Using EUX as a tool to influence local and national policy

There have been studies in the past, that working for a particular company, has proven to make employees happier and have more self-esteem.

Tesco however wanted to go way beyond that, and prove that working for them could make significant health and well being changes as well as improve behavioural patterns, impact in a positive way on their employees health, and well being and improve the lives of their workers.

This was particularly important, not for a self-congratulatory purpose, but to open a new dialogue with politicians to show benefits beyond the normally accepted channels, that are presented by developers.

We used EUX to get close to the employees as they trained and learnt news skills. With our partners, and closely followed by local government and central government observers, we started to prove that our programme was improving the lives and welfare of hundred of people, who were employed within the business.

With data rich insights and case studies we could now use the findings to demonstrate how the business was positively shaping peoples futures. This was an incredibly powerful argument, and allowed Tesco to position, this side of the business, as the go-to organisation, for not just trading and commercial data, but also behavioural and sociological insights.

This allowed the business to offer meaningful responses, as part of presentations, to local politicians and central think tanks and policy makers.

We knew from readily available research that in poorer area health was a particular challenge, and we had to recognise the pressures on all residents, and our employees to create ways of trying to improve health and well being.

Stores were identified as hotspots and case studies were developed which subsequently shaped the debate about social impact, retailing and employment challenges

The programme developed into a much wider model that ultimately created over 2000 new jobs.