With several years of experience working in the Recruitment industry, Charlotte Dempsey, Driving Manager and Mental Health First Aider at Ultimate Recruitment, is a passionate advocate of driving greater awareness of mental health in the workplace.
Charlotte discusses wellbeing in an industry where mental health statistics are startlingly high and provides some top tips for employers on how to support the mental wellbeing of their team.
Mental health in the recruitment industry
Dubbed as the most stressful working environment in the UK; the recruitment industry is known for its heavy workload, long hours and constant pressure to meet targets; all of which can have a negative effect on an individual’s physical and mental health.
When we look at the recruitment industry alone, 82% of Recruitment Consultants admit to being stressed whilst at work, and with stress being named as the number one cause of long-term workplace sickness, it’s clear that more needs to be done to support individuals at risk (REC).
As the cost-of-living increases and shortages within the sector continue to rise daily, it’s important that businesses consider the impact of these on an employee’s mental health. Employers can invest in a number of tools that provide an adequate level of support to recruiters who are struggling with the added pressure.
3 ways to support the mental health of your recruiters
Invest in training
Creating an environment where employees feel confident and comfortable to discuss private matters at work is important in any workplace.
Choosing to invest in mental health training in a recruitment business can be a useful way to help provide employees with vital skills they need to feel equipped to deal with both their own and others mental health. Having a dedicated mental health first aider or champion provides a trusted and secure platform for team members to confidently open up a conversation around mental health, and can help businesses to distinguish the needs of an individual and how to best support them going forward.
St Johns Ambulance and MHFA England are great training providers which offer a range of courses to equip your staff with the knowledge and skills required to support individuals in need.
Invest in an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Employee Assistance Programmes are proven to decrease the absence of staff as well as improve productivity and staff retention (Croner).
By investing in an EAP like Perkbox, employers can demonstrate their dedication to supporting the wellbeing of their employees.
With the recruitment environment being so fast-paced, recruiters can benefit from the flexibility that EAPs provide, having access to online support, anywhere and anytime. With wellbeing resources ranging from short meditation guides to workout videos; recruiters are able to access the tools they require to adopt a happier and healthier lifestyle, whilst on the go.
Create wellness actions plans (WAP) for all employees
Mental health charity, Mind, offer a number of ways to help businesses manage the mental health of their employees - one of which is through the use of wellness action plans.
WAPs are a free resource that can be used to outline ways in which employers can support the mental health of their teams.
Whether you are using a WAP for an existing employee or an employee returning to work; such resources can be useful in providing a structure for conversations around mental health in the workplace and can lead to greater productivity, performance and increased job satisfaction (Mind).
How do Ultimate Recruitment prioritise mental wellbeing?
Here at Ultimate Recruitment, a large part of our businesses focus lies with the development of our employees; we encourage our team to contribute towards important conversations around mental health and actively work to ensure that each and every member of our staff feel supported within what they do.
By adopting a transparent and flexible leadership style, we ensure that our employees feel confident to discuss private and sensitive matters within the workplace. Our company-wide ‘open door policy’ provides the perfect platform for our employees to feel comfortable to discuss any concerns - both inside and outside of work - and allows our team to distinguish the needs of an individual and how we can support them going forward.
Our mental health first aider is trained to deal with common workplace mental health illnesses and is equipped with the necessary skills to have a supportive and non-judgemental conversation with those who need it.
By offering our employees access to additional perks such as employee benefit packages, our team are provided with the opportunity to enhance both their physical and mental wellbeing. From discounted gym memberships to 24-hour counselling and other wellbeing resources; there are hundreds of benefits available to help provide our employees with the support they require.
Working in the recruitment industry can present a number of challenges for an individual’s mental and physical health. It’s therefore important that as an employer, you prioritise investing into the wellbeing of your team over the uncertain and challenging months ahead.
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