Listening Service Aims to Fill a Workplace Need
Maybe one answer to successfully managing some of our daily emotional health challenges is a combination of increased access to people who are receptive to patiently listening to our concerns and stress — and us being willing to reach out to talk, to a stranger.
Yes, a stranger.
That second part likely sounds absurd and wildly uncomfortable, yet it shouldn’t, says Adi Y. Segal, CEO at Hapi, a self-care app that helps people, “by providing active listening from a human as a service.”
The on-demand, 24/7, real-time connection over an internet call provides 100-percent anonymity, he says. Having someone listen and feeling heard and thus, understood are two different experiences. Not all listening is actively done and the need for that is important.
Employee burnout is one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. economy to the tune of $300 billion each year, according to studies conducted by the American Institute of Stress.
To few people’s surprise, studies show that a near majority, fully 83%, of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, with over half — 60% — of worker absences directly related to that stress.
This is a significant drain on resources that drives avoidable opportunity loss and a major contributor to both mental and physical health problems of employees.
Employers are unconsciously undermining productivity and profitability. Analysis by NSC and NORC at University of Chicago reveals organizations that support mental health see a return of $4 for every dollar invested.
They’ve built a Mental Health Cost Calculator that can demonstrate and quantify the financial impact on a company.
Also notable is, Segal says, is that research making abundantly clear that talking to strangers can supercharge happiness.
“Many psychologists even admit that, often, people dealing with work and life issues don't need therapy, but rather just need someone to talk to, someone who will truly listen and provide the space for support, validation and exploration,” he says.
With the advent of Certified Listening as a Service (CLaaS), managers can promote mental health apps and resources that increase access to care and human connectivity with 24/7/365 availability, lower the bar to entry, and simply provide a safe space for team members from the C-suite to the front line to vent, relieve stress, get advice, bounce ideas or have company when feeling lonely or isolated.
Organizationally, leaders can and can consider establishing and building upon a culture of engagement, collaboration and trust, the kind that can only be compelled through true active listening so that employees feel heard, valued and supported in a way that impedes burnout.
Business and industry could in turn realize benefits, from increased productivity and higher staff retention rates to lower absenteeism and presenteeism, exemplified by the ‘quiet quitting’ trend.
A Harvard Business Review study found that active listening is a key factor in improving leadership effectiveness, which, in turn, improves employee productivity, engagement and retention.
Conversely, failing to do so presents a mission-critical missed opportunity to address and resolve root causes of workforce stress and burnout.
Adi Segal, CEO at Hapi
“When Hapi first started, it was marketed as a venting app where anybody could come on to vent and get something off their chest,” Segal says. “You know, because everyone is going through something.”
The app was made even more attractive, he says, because, “it was completely anonymous and on-demand. In other words, people could call in and talk to someone anytime, anywhere.”
The types of calls that the company receives are focused in one area, maybe predictably, yet different types of requests are received.
“Since 2019, we’ve had a variety of calls come through. Most of our call volume is from people who want to talk about their relationships, but we also get calls where people want to chit-chat or have a conversation with a real person.
“Loneliness is steadily rising in the United States and we see that people come to the Hapi app to talk to someone in moments when they feel like there is no one else to talk to,” Segal says.
He’s quick to point out what the service is and is not.
“In a nutshell, it provides non-clinical emotional support. It is not therapy, although people often confuse it as so because of the relief they get after their first call,” Segal says.
There is a space and need for this type of service, he contends.
“The reality is that the mental health and wellness needs of the United States population aren't being met,” Segal declares. “Access to therapy is becoming much more of a hurdle in many different ways such as accessibility — ‘Will my insurance cover my therapy sessions?’ — affordability — ‘Can I even afford therapy?’— and availability — ‘Will I be able to schedule an appointment, and if so, how far in advance would I need to do it?’”
The immediate availability is a feature offering that he says stands out and fills a a pressing emotional need.
“The main value proposition of Hapi comes from the fact that it is an on-demand service. Unlike therapy, you don’t need to schedule weeks or months in advance,” Segal promises. “If you need to talk to someone to get something off your chest, the listeners on Hapi give you the space to do so.”
Another objective of the service is to help people solve a myriad of everyday emotional wants and needs.
“Can’t sleep? You can go on the app at 2 a.m. and talk to someone until you do. Got locked out of your car? You can connect and talk to a listener to keep you company until roadside assistance arrives. Stressed out at work and don’t want to vent to your coworkers? Talk about it to an anonymous listener where it's safe. You don’t have to worry about things being said or unsaid at your workplace,” he says.
Nick Epley, professor of behavioral science and faculty director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Determining how comfortable humans are though venting to strangers on an internet call, especially if they may have family or friends they prefer, is a debate point. Segal first responds with data he’s read.
“Research has shown that talking to strangers does in fact have several benefits and this includes the idea that talking to strangers can make us happier. In fact, Professor Nick Epley from the University of Chicago conducted a social study on the Chicago public transportation system and found that participants who engaged in conversation with a stranger during their commute reported feeling happier than those who did not,” Segal says.
He is quick to clarify that is not an absolute.
“Now, that’s not to say that every interaction with a stranger will be a positive experience. It’s always a great idea to take precautions and prioritize personal safety,” Segal admits. “But the human-to-human aspect is one that we shouldn’t ignore.”
Hapi, he states, trains its people to be empathetic, which is uncommon in business. As for how the company assures its listeners are reliably empathetic, in a manner that users don’t reject, Segal has an answer.
“Our listeners are highly diverse and come from all walks of life,” he begins. “We have listeners who are stay at home parents, college students, entrepreneurs, life coaches, influencers, engineers and even a cop who listens, off-duty of course.
“The point is, you don’t have to be this person who has gone through rigorous training or has accumulated all this education or certifications to be a good listener. It’s more about having empathy than an education. We want to understand the “Why?” he stresses.
The job position and role has attracted people who are naturally caring or want to use their pain and trauma to be helpful to others.
“Some people want to help others, some know and understand the feeling of not being heard and want to be a listening ear for others and some people enjoy listening to strangers,” Segal has learned. “Again, we believe that anyone can be a good listener. We look for each person’s desire to become a good listener.”
The company’s short and long-term goals focus on its contribution to society as much as growth as a business.
“Currently, we have been focusing on truly training all of the listeners on the app by providing them the tools to not only become a better listener through active listening, but develop their emotional intelligence,” he begins.
“Long-term goals are currently set in motion (as well). In early December, we launched The Atlantic Listening Academy, which all the current Hapi Listeners are required to take upon becoming an active listener on the platform. This certification program is not just geared towards our current listeners but rather anyone who truly wants to develop their listening skills,” Segal says.
He wants to improve the way society interacts because there certainly is a gap between what is the norm and what is needed.
“We’re calling it a Listening Economy. Listening has always been a valuable skill to have, both personally and professionally, but for some reason we are also bad at it,” Segal says.
He explains why this commitment is critically important and beneficial.
“There is so much value in listening that we may not fully understand it until we actually do it. Listening has the ability to change people’s minds,” he confidently says. “It’s quite powerful actually.”
He details how this can work in practice.
“When you make the conscious decision to listen to someone else you are actually subconsciously inviting them to trust you,” Segal says. “Listening leads to trust and we all know how valuable trust is in any relationship.”
Then, there is the other side of the not listening and not connecting effectively with people, their emotions and psychology.
“We also know the implications of not trusting someone and having someone not trust us,” Segal says, providing insight, “Without trust people feel unsafe, they will feel insecure and they will feel reluctant to be honest and vulnerable with you. This all eventually leads to misunderstandings which just so happens to be a direct result of miscommunication.”
His proposed solution is clear, scientific and on-brand.
“To avoid miscommunication and to be better communicators, we need to become better listeners first.”
