As we move towards the end of 2022, many organisations are starting to look towards a new year, with new challenges and new priorities. 

Lifting the lid on employee mental health

The past few years have seen more people struggling with their wellbeing than ever before, and over 50% of people were absent from or left a workplace due to mental health reasons in 2021. This has left many organisations no choice but to finally place precedence on employee mental health and recognise the importance of workplace wellbeing. 

The challenge for HR and senior leader teams moving into 2023 is to develop a long-term, sustainable culture of wellbeing. A quarter of HR leaders say that their development approach is not ready for the future of work, according to a recent survey conducted by Gartner. Workplaces have to be prepared to handle ongoing change and disruption that seems inevitable, embedding mental health into every level of the organisation and equipping workforces with the skills needed to cope. 

Leaders as pioneers for a new workplace culture 

According to recent research by Gartner and McKinsey, this long-term resilience starts with leadership. Leaders and managers throughout an organisation have to be prepared to navigate teams through uncertainty, gain the skills needed to support employee wellbeing, and feel confident in signposting to the right help. 

The Gartner survey reveals that the top three focuses for HR leaders in 2023 are on exactly that - leader and manager effectiveness, organisational and change management, and employee experience.

According to Dr Lynne Green, consultant clinical psychologist and chief clinical officer, Kooth, “Amid all this turbulence has emerged a realisation that workplaces themselves need to shift. HR professionals know they need leaders to be the agents of that change. Leaders will have a key role in driving forward a new work culture which is more aligned to our changing times and more cognisant of a wounded workforce. We see a huge role for HR in helping develop a new kind of leader, one that promotes and embodies a psychologically safe workplace, and has the tools to be able to provide the necessary employee mental health support - so that we can all thrive amongst the change.”

In our latest Kooth Work e-guide, we delve into why recent times and relentless change is so hard for employees and has contributed to the rise in mental health issues nationally. 

We explore the new skills that are emerging as critical for a new breed of leader that focuses on wellbeing, including role-modelling, being human-centred, and participatory leadership. 

Finally, we look at how, as HR professionals and senior leaders, you can equip your leaders and workforce with the right skills and resources to develop this long-term culture around employee wellbeing. 

To learn more about how you can steer your culture and support your workforce, download our latest free guide “next level leadership for managing change” today.