Mental Health Matters for Attracting and Retaining Staff

Awareness of mental health has increased dramatically in recent years, and so too has the pressure on organisations to support their staff’s well-being. This culture shift presents an opportunity to set your business apart from competitors by offering effective mental health strategies.   

When your company begins to offer consistent mental health support, which is not only reactionary - but actually promotes the well-being of all your staff, you can attract and retain the best employees. You will also experience an increase in productivity and a decrease in absenteeism, ultimately saving your company money while helping your staff feel supported and valued. 

Key Facts 

• According to research carried out by Cake HR, 60% of employees have suffered from mental health problems throughout the past year due to issues in the workplace. 
   

• The average cost of turnover per employee (earning £25,000 a year or more) is £30,614, according to research by Oxford Economics and Unum. That means if you replace three employees on this wage in one year, the cost of employee turnover will be close to £92,000. 
   

• The UK average employee turnover rate is approximately 15% a year. If you're an HR manager, you can use this number and compare it to your company's turnover rate. If your number is lower, you're doing great, but if it's higher, it is time to assess how you support your employees’ well-being in the workplace.  
   

• The importance of mental health support in the workplace is increasing, with 37% of employees thinking about their mental health more than before the pandemic and 31% expecting more support.  

The Importance of Mental Health Strategies in Attracting the Best Employees 

According to research by Robert Walters Recruitment, 88% of professionals consider what mental health and wellbeing strategies an organisation offers when searching for a role.  

The findings also demonstrated that hiring managers seriously underestimate the importance of mental health support, with just 42% believing it would be important to candidates considering a new role. 

Guide For Attracting Staff 

• Communicate the organisations’ mental health strategy during recruitment and job advertising.  

• Distinguish between essential and desirable requirements for the job. That means focusing on what is needed to get the job done, such as knowledge and experience, and not how it will be done, such as the delivery method.  

• Make clear what emotional elements are required but don’t emphasise a need for a personality type. For example, you should ask for someone effective at networking, not someone who is sociable and cheerful, as this is a reliance on character and not ability.  

• Manage expectations. For example, ‘you must be able to work in a stressful environment.’ 

• State clearly that workplace adjustments are available so applicants understand why sharing information about their mental health might be beneficial.  

• Communicate the organisations’ commitment to inclusion and diversity, and ensure candidates are not discriminated against at any stage because of unconscious bias.   

• Allow the option for people to disclose a mental health problem confidentially, separate from the application form, so the recruitment panel does not see it.  

Costs of Poor Mental Health at Work  

Most employers seriously underestimate the cost of poor mental health at work. Deloitte published a report in March 2022 and found that poor mental health costs organisations around £56 billion a year. 

£56 billion a year can be broken down into:  

• Staff turnover - £22.4 billion 

• Absenteeism - £6.1 billion  

• Presenteeism - £24.8 billion 

Staff Turnover  

Staff turnover is a high cost for businesses. Considering the loss of skills and expertise and the costs of finding and training someone new, the importance of holding onto staff is clear.  

The evidence shows that those with long-term mental health conditions lose their jobs at around double the rate of those without a mental health condition. This amounts to about 300,000 people leaving their jobs each year.  

However, it is not only those with long-term mental health conditions who suffer from poor well-being in the workplace. Everyone has mental health that fluctuates over time. Stress, anxiety, and depression can affect anyone, and when staff are not supported, low well-being can quickly cause them to seek new employment. 

Staff Productivity 

Attracting and retaining staff are not the only factors that are impacted by mental health. The productivity of employees is also an important consideration.  

Poor mental health has a significant impact on productivity. For example: 

• Mental health issues such as stress or anxiety make concentrating difficult, making everyday work more challenging.  

• Employees’ stamina can be affected, making deadlines difficult to meet.  

• Poor mental health may make someone doubt their abilities, which damages their work.  

• Team dynamics are also affected, as someone suffering from low well-being will often struggle to interact with others, causing a breakdown in communication.  

• When the culture and atmosphere of an office are not supportive of mental health, it can be a challenge for those who are struggling and ultimately slows down the growth of your business.  

Traditional One-to-One Support is Not Enough 

The problem with traditional one-to-one support is that people are only referred once a problem has already manifested. This approach is costly and time-consuming, and once an employee reaches a point where they require support, they often need a substantial amount of time to recover. Therefore, the best well-being strategies are preventative.  

Although the Deloitte report demonstrated the high costs of poor mental health in the workplace, it also found that initiatives are incredibly effective. Their results revealed that the average return on investment was £5 for every £1 spent on mental health strategies.  

However, it is also clear that the return on investment varies massively from 0:4:1 to nearly 11:1! So, what makes a good well-being initiative, and how can you ensure you are at the upper end of that scale? 

What Does An Effective Mental Health Strategy Look Like? 

 An effective mental health strategy includes: 

• Implementing a dedicated strategy to support staff wellbeing. 

• Changing attitudes towards mental health at work. 

• Promoting mental health policies when recruiting.  

• The routine monitoring of employee wellbeing. 

• Providing tools and support to all staff. 

• Encouraging open communication about mental health.  

• Effective management that includes regular conversations about wellbeing. 

What Does the Data Tell Us? 

The Detroit report found that the highest return on investment came from well-being initiatives focused on:  

• Large-scale preventative programmes. 

• The use of technology to deliver adaptive support.  

• Support that reaches the entire organisation.  

The report found that while access to a therapist had a return of investment of 0:4:1, access to digital programs with screening, feedback and referrals had an ROI of 11:1! 

Technology can empower organisations to offer mental health support to each individual and tailor appropriate responses to feedback. Creating mental health support which is scalable, cost-effective and measurable.  

Some of the benefits of using technology to improve mental health in the workplace include: 

• It can be scaled up to an entire organisation.  

• Low cost compared to one-to-one support.  

• Measurable results.  

• Preventative support.  

• Adaptable on a person-by-person basis.  

 What is HeadClear? 

HeadClear is a science-backed app and platform designed to help employees understand and improve their mental health.  

HeadClear delivers technology that enables employees to control their mental health and well-being. We believe that happy people make the best employees, which is why we provide personalised, large-scale solutions for mental health in the workplace.   

HeadClear is the only mental health platform that prioritises preventing stress instead of tackling its effect. We believe that preventative mental health measures delivered through technology are the key to boosting well-being in a meaningful way, empowering companies to get ahead. This is the future of mental health support.  

How Does it Work? 

Every employee has the opportunity to track their well-being with daily check-ins that take just 30 seconds. The app will monitor vital signs, breathing rate, mood, and recovery system using a camera phone, while staff answer ten simple questions to track their stress and well-being. The app also has a platform for community support and tools to keep teams engaged and supported.  

Through past and present stress and well-being scores, managers clearly view employees’ mental health. Everything they need to support individual employees is at their fingertips. HeadClear also predicts future well-being so that managers can take preventative measures to improve well-being in the workplace. 

Monitoring, understanding, and managing your well-being has never been easier.  

HeadClear keeps it simple.