Boosting Mental Health in the Tech Sector

Today, we have unprecedented access to technology that is meant to boost our mental health. There’s AI and smartphone-assisted therapy. Telehealth. Wearables. Apps like BetterHelp, Calm, and Talkspace.

Yet while technology facilitates this support, the talent behind it — the professionals who make the wheels turn and the magic happen — face a rigorous, fast-paced, competitive, and often cutthroat culture.?

More than 90% of workers in the tech industry have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, according to the 2021 OSMI Mental Health in Tech Survey , while roughly 64.7% believe that their productivity was affected by a mental health problem.?

Tech professionals do so much for our society. They are thinkers and innovators. They make things tick. But they need support too. For too long, the tech sector has pushed its workers, sometimes to the detriment of their own mental health. While the stakes are certainly high in the field, that’s not enough to sacrifice the well-being of our greatest asset: our talent.

What can be done? As the leader of a tech company, I believe that people come first — before the work they do and the software they create. And that should be at the forefront of all of our minds as we build a healthier, more intentional work culture.

Addressing Mental Health Challenges as a Leader

1. Be Proactive

Far too often, organizations are reactive to mental health problems rather than proactive. This cannot be the case when it comes to such a serious issue as people’s well-being.?

Being proactive means initiating open conversations about mental health in tech. Organizations will need to take a multifaceted approach to building a culture that is aware of the problems in the tech industry and is vocal about addressing them. This starts with informing talent about these pervasive issues, but it requires action beyond that.?

Leadership can, for example, provide resources, as well as implement mental health awareness training programs to ensure that everyone understands what kind of support is necessary and what is available to help team members in distress.

Again, don’t wait until the worst comes to pass to provide this support. Do it preemptively. For instance, consider bringing in mental health specialists to speak to your staff and make recommendations on policy changes. Offer tools for team members to facilitate meaningful conversations about their well-being. Provide mental health assessments, free of charge. These are just some ideas to promote a safer, better workplace and culture.

2. Promote Work-Life Balance

Burnout is all too pervasive in the tech industry. Professionals are notoriously overworked, and this has an overwhelmingly negative effect on the industry’s collective mental health.?

That’s why it’s so critical to promote a healthy work-life balance. Tech is infamous for providing ample incentives for workers to stay in the office for long hours: snacks, gyms, entertainment, even napping pods … The list goes on. But instead of offering encouragement to work longer and harder, we should consider how these incentives don’t necessarily make people work better.?

People need balance. Rather than thinking about how we can keep tech talent in the office longer, consider how we can promote wellness so our talent is more compelled to work and enthusiastic about what they do. This means real longevity — when we show our workers that we value them as people and support them by giving them a break, they, in turn, will be more loyal to us, and the payoff is a win-win.

3. Use the Data

Tech companies are intrinsically data-driven. So, let’s do what we do best and use that data! External data — the information we get from research and other resources — is powerful, but internal data can be equally valuable.?

What kinds of resources will help your talent? Ask them — they know the answer. Question them anonymously about the support they have and what they still need for the sake of their well-being and mental health. Continue to measure the impact of the initiatives you institute, leveraging both internal and external data to support your programs and procedures.

4. Establish Programs and Groups Prioritizing Mental Health

Netflix has an Employee Resource Group (ERG ) dedicated to normalizing mental health in the workplace — and they’re not the only tech company that is making spaces for team members to share experiences, find resources, and otherwise receive mental health support. Communities, programs, and groups are opportunities for individuals to connect and find the care they need.

By establishing these groups, you are also encouraging connections in the tech workplace, something all individuals need for their psychological well-being.

5. Uplift Talent

The impact of talent feeling undervalued and underappreciated can be enormous. It can even drive workers to leave — and it certainly affects their mental health. The tech industry is notorious for creating a culture of competition, where workers are pitted against one another and many people face impostor syndrome.?

Instead, we should be uplifting tech talent for the work they do. Even words of encouragement and tokens of appreciation — a thank-you note, a small bonus, a shout-out in a company’s internal communications — can have an impact on a professional’s outlook and overall well-being.

Mental Health Should Not Be a Taboo Topic

Investing in mental health isn’t just better for workers — it also leads to better ROIs for organizations, such as stronger retention rates. This is yet another reason why we need to be focusing on our tech talent, seeing them as people first, not vehicles of production.

Mental health can no longer be a taboo topic in the sector. For too long, we have pushed aside the needs of our talent and focused too little on their well-being. But this is a central need and one we cannot ignore. Instead, it must be a priority, not just for our business success but for the people in our communities.