We’re proud of the work our team does, and we want you to get to know the faces behind TELUS Health. Paula Allen is a Global Leader and TELUS Health’s VP of Research, Insights and Strategic Communications.
Paula is trained as a mental health clinician with a focus on children and brain function, and has held senior leadership roles in disability management, leadership training, product development and health and benefits consulting. In addition to her work with TELUS Health, Paula is the incoming Board Chair of one of the largest networks of autism services, serves on the technical committee for the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, is a director on the Canadian Club Board, is a founding board member for the Canadian Business Disability Inclusion Network and has chaired the Quality Committee while on the board of the Women’s College Hospital.
Among many of her responsibilities in her role with TELUS Health, Paula leads the production of the TELUS Mental Health Index, which surveys 19,000 workers from across the world on the state of their mental health – providing employers a deep dive into issues and actions that make a difference. The data from that report informs employers and governments on the mental health of workforces globally, and helps them determine how they can better support their people and improve employee health outcomes.
Read on to hear more about what ignites Paula’s passion for wellbeing, and how her work contributes to building healthier workplaces and communities around the world.
Q: How long have you been a part of TELUS Health, and what inspired you to join the team?
A: I was inspired to join several years ago because I saw a willingness to push the limits and set higher standards for whatever you do. I would not be interested in a company that had no ambition other than doing what had been done before. What is the point? Thankfully through the years, that spirit continues.
Q: What would you say the main areas of focus in your role are?
A: My team and I do research, data analytics and communications to support three key areas.
This is where the TELUS Mental Health Index comes in, as well as the events we speak at and our collaborations in the realm of thought leadership. The objective here is to “raise all boats” as good information leads to good decisions, which then leads to better results for people, businesses and communities.
This is where we tackle barriers to better health. We do this by leveraging data in four ways.
My team provides data that can be used to inform our products. We also manage the full system of data points and analytics that keep us abreast of the needs and sentiment of our customers.
Each of these three accountabilities links to the others, and all are about making better decisions, uncovering the insights needed for better health outcomes and addressing health in a way that truly matters.
Q: What is your favourite part about your role with TELUS Health?
A: Thinking things through with my team and others. I love the times where people come with their minds, passion and openness to learn and create. We have some brilliant minds that challenge critical assumptions and can then get, analyse, and interpret the data that helps us all make solid decisions.
That is the process. Observations and ideas, then validation with data, and then you make decisions and take action. Decisions without data are whims. Whims might be good for selecting a flavour of ice cream but rarely good when running a business, especially one that impacts people's health. Whims are also rarely satisfying in the long run because you are left with no more knowledge and understanding than you had before. That is not how we operate.
Q: How do you feel your work positively impacts the lives of employees around the world?
A: My team brings clarity. When you have a sense of clarity, you have greater control and are able to improve on what you are focusing on.
We provide clarity for the general market - individuals and organisations - with our reports such as the TELUS Mental Health Index; we provide clarity for organisations and their people with our analytics; and we also provide clarity in the communications and change management strategies we develop.
In addition to providing our clients clarity through data and analytics, we also support our TELUS Health colleagues with client and product insights, market research and data driven tools that support our sales people.
My team has a global view on the mental health and wellbeing of people around the world. TELUS Health operates in many countries and regions, and we are proud to help enhance the wellbeing of employees and individuals on a global scale.
Q: How does mental health data better inform employers on how to support their people?
A: All of the work we do helps each of the key constituents in a healthy society – from employers to colleges and universities to individuals. Data helps all. We answer specific questions and package it in specific ways to make it relevant to specific groups. By getting the hard evidence on how people are doing, we can learn how to better support them. For example, using insights from mental health research and employee assistance programs (EAP), we can develop TELUS Health Learning courses to help address specific business challenges and employee needs, such as mental wellbeing and overall job satisfaction.
One of the strongest benefits of TELUS Health’s data is that it comes from multiple perspectives and multiple services. With that, we get clearer and more accurate insights than is available from any single point of view.
Q: What is your vision for the future of employee healthcare?
A: I see the future of employee wellbeing as focused on the empowerment of individuals. People need to have access to the tools and knowledge they need to take control of their own mental health journey. Data that is delivered in a clear and usable manner is critical to that.
Q: How do TELUS Health's values resonate with you and support your personal health and wellbeing?
A: All of TELUS’ values support a healthy life and a healthy mind, and this is directly reflected in how they approach solutions that help support employee mental, physical and financial health. Once you have those, other things will fall into place.