Employees seek mental health savvy employers
A recent whitepaper from specialist professional recruitment company Robert Walters plc highlights the approach employers are using to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff and how hiring managers can emphasise their commitment to mental wellbeing during the recruitment process.
The importance of mental health strategies in attracting top talent surveyed 3,000 UK professionals and found that 88 per cent of professionals consider the mental health and wellbeing strategies offered by their employer to be important when looking for a new role. However, only 42 per cent of hiring managers believed that their mental health strategies would be important to candidates when considering a new job.
The survey also found that, although 93 per cent of employers and five per cent of professionals believe that employees are more effective in their role when they feel that their mental health and wellbeing is being supported at work, just 51 per cent of employers currently have a mental health policy in place.
Additionally, when it comes to finding information about the mental wellbeing strategies offered by employers, 64 per cent of professionals said that they found it difficult to find this information. Employers were found to have few channels in place to help potential employees learn about their mental wellbeing policy, with only 12 per cent having this information freely available on their website and only 66 per cent communicating these strategies internally.
“The benefits of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff are well documented, with both professionals and employers recognising the positive impacts of doing so. Employers should consider that policies which support mental health and wellbeing, while requiring investment, can yield significant benefits for the organisation,” said Lucy Bisset, Director at Robert Walters.