The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 12 billion (yes, that’s billion with a b) working days are lost annually around the globe due to depression and anxiety. What’s more, WHO also reports that mental health conditions cost the global economy 1 trillion (yes, that’s trillion with a t) U.S. dollars in lost productivity every single year.

Although data like the above is helping increase awareness of the impact of mental health in the workplace, the BBC notes in a recent article that “many workplaces still lack adequate support systems.”

If you’re looking to better support mental health at your organization and are unsure of where to start, you may want to take some inspiration from The Digital Picnic, an Australian-based marketing agency that clients describe as “the nicest place on the internet.”

In an interview with Cherie Clonan, The Digital Picnic’s CEO, the BBC highlights many of the steps the company has taken to improve its employees’ mental health and well-being. First and foremost, the company provides a lot of flexibility, requiring employees to come into the office only six days per month and building schedules around circadian rhythms to accommodate night owls and early risers.

To learn more about The Digital Picnic’s approach — including how it supports well-being early in the recruiting and onboarding process — be sure to check out the BBC’s piece at the top of our list below of must-read articles for talent professionals. And further down our list, you can also learn why the gender wage gap increased for the first time in 20 years; why DEI initiatives should continue to be baked into the recruiting process; and why simple manners may go a long way when chatting with your favorite GAI tool.

Here are the must-read articles from this week: 

1. ‘The Nicest Place on the Internet’: How an Australian Business Is Trying to Transform Mental Health at Work (BBC)

2. What Do Stakeholders Really Think About You and Your L&D Work? (L&D Must Change)

3. Why Asking Only Competency-Based Questions in an Interview Is a Bad Idea (Luke Eaton on LinkedIn)

4. The Gender Wage Gap Increased for the First Time in 20 Years. It’s Time to Pay Attention to ‘Emotional Labor’ (Fast Company)

5. How LinkedIn’s New Hiring Assistant Can Help Recruiters Do What They Love Most (LinkedIn Talent Blog)

6. One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found (Harvard Business Review)

7. Are You Hiring Leaders Who Match Your CEO’s Goals? (ERE)

8. Why DEI Initiatives Still Matter in Recruiting (The Talent Architects)

9. Leadership Development: An Antidote to Stress . . . and So Much More (Chief Learning Officer)

10. How Polite Are You with Gen AI? (Glen Cathey on LinkedIn)

Here is the must-listen podcast:

How to Be a Kind Manager — Without Being a Pushover (Working It)