The culture within your organization can improve your company’s overall success metrics or be the key factor in its slow decline. Most leaders still don’t prioritize employed mental health despite the emerging data showing a direct connection between employee well-being and company performance. In my two decades of corporate consulting and project management in the tech industry, I have seen the evolution of remote work, flexible time off policies, and parental leave programs. While times are changing, we are still a far cry from utilizing the wellness of your employees as a strategic lever to company success.
While the workplace has drastically changed with remote/hybrid work environments pre- and post-pandemic, it has introduced new mental health challenges. Stress and burnout continue to be top concerns. Social isolation and loneliness coupled with less daily movement and blurred boundaries between work and home life are major factors for employee mental health now more than ever. Employee Assistance Programs have been an excellent start, but there is still much work to be done in the area of integrating mental health into your corporate culture and taking these new considerations into effect.
Take the technology industry, as an example. Despite having the second-best offerings when it comes to mental health solutions, according to the Calm Business 2023 Workplace Mental Health Trends Report, 40% of employees expressed a desire for mental health solutions to address stress, anxiety, and sleep challenges. Over half of employees are still experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, but resolving this concern doesn’t require a large budget adjustment. Employers are both a part of the problem and the solution when it comes to workplace stress. This same research shows that a 1% investment in preventative measures such as workshops on employee resilience, coping strategies, and mindful manager training, results in a 4% savings in reactive healthcare costs.
Much of my recent strategic consulting experience has focused on empowering professionals to create meaningful careers and fulfilling personal lives. This is the ultimate work/life balance that stems from making one’s mental health the top priority. The most successful tactic having the biggest impact on employee mental health is Employee Wellness Workshops. Additionally, recognizing a manager’s influence on their team’s morale, using a top-down approach with executive training programs has been an excellent strategy for improving company culture.
These types of wellness-focused strategies can improve the mental health of employees and the overall performance of your company. Creating a mentally healthy workplace is deeply personal and it starts with our leaders creating open communication, inviting healthy conversations, and setting the example for prioritizing mental health during the work day and in the workplace. After all, it’s not just business. It’s personal.
