How Mental Health relates to Talent Retention.

In an era of heightened anxiety and depression, mental health awareness has become more important than ever. HR and other business leaders are developing and implementing retention strategies focused on mental health. Organizations that offer well-being benefits to their staff, and create a supportive work environment, stand a chance to experience high rates of employee engagement, loyalty, as well as job satisfaction. This in turn improves talent retention rates. Below are some of the ways companies can address and improve mental health and well-being in the workplace and grant themselves a competitive edge in the labor market.?

Many factors in today’s workplaces contribute to mental health illnesses; however, burnout is often cited as the top one. Burnout can negatively impact employee morale, reduce engagement and ultimately lower productivity, and increase the turnover rate. Employers do not have to necessarily diagnose and treat mental illnesses, but they can demonstrate commitment to their employees by:

• Encouraging employees to take breaks during working hours or even compulsory days off.
• Training managers and supervisors to lead with empathy and emotional intelligence.?
• Establishing boundaries that help employees balance work and life and family life, etc.

More organizations are enhancing the benefits they offer and adopting retention strategies that prioritize their employee’s well-being. Some of the benefits and strategies include;

• Offering health care programs with sufficient mental health coverage.
• Running workplace mental health care and programs
• Establishing Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Running mental health support groups
• Offering flexible work policies to employees
• Ongoing education/training on stress management, burnout prevention, and mental health awareness

A supportive company culture can positively impact workforce morale, job satisfaction, employee engagement, and employee retention rates. Going a step further and making mental health and wellness a part of your company culture and core values can take employee engagement and satisfaction to a new level. This can be achieved by;

• Communicating clearly to employees the company’s mental health and wellness benefits, programs, and policies, and how they can access support and resources when they need them.
• Prioritizing a work-life balance by offering flexibility to employees. This can help them better handle stressors and responsibilities in their lives.
• Providing emotional support through one-on-one check-ins or by reducing an employee’s workload to just essential tasks when they are experiencing mental stressors or a difficult period.
• Setting aside time for fun activities that help employees bond outside the (in-person or virtual) workplace and provide opportunities for them to relax mentally and physically.
• Creating a culture of psychological safety—it opens the door to conversations with employees when you notice job performance issues or signs they are suffering from anxiety or stress.

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Showing care and compassion for a colleague who might be anxious or depressed will also demonstrate your commitment to them as a person; not just an employee. That, in turn, will allow your colleagues to place more trust and faith in you as a leader and employer.