Showcase Your Mental Heath Resources During Onboarding

Caitlin Kirwan explores how organizations can set the scene with new employees by showcasing mental health resources during onboarding.

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May throughout the US for the last 74 years to help educate, de-stigmatize and provide support around mental health. And while organizations have made significant progress over the last decade, we all need to continue making proactive efforts to create inclusive and supportive workplaces.

This blog post sets out the best ways employers can create an open and supportive environment from the get-go and share mental health supports and resources with their new starters.

Mental health in the workplace

Research has shown that around 15% of UK employees experience mental health problems in the workplace, and almost 13% of all sickness absence days are mental health-related.

Globally, the financial impact of poor mental health and its related consequences is expected to reach $6 trillion by 2030, due to lost productivity, increased sickness absence, and higher employee turnover.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported at work, and cultivating a positive culture that supports mental health and wellbeing is shown to improve employee engagement, productivity, and loyalty. 

Starting a new job is often daunting, and sometimes outright overwhelming. A recent study found that 65% of new joiners experience feelings of self-doubt or personal incompetence and 46% had moments where they regretted accepting the new job.

First impressions matter, and the way an organization introduces its approach to mental health will definitely be noticed by new joiners – even if only subconsciously.

Laying a foundation for new employees

New joiners don’t necessarily know what they’re walking into.

They might have a good idea of their new role and the responsibilities of their new team, but they won’t yet have a feel for the company culture or the workplace norms. It’s therefore important to immediately set the scene and demonstrate a culture within which it’s safe for employees to be open and honest about their mental health.

You need to lay a foundation of empowerment and inclusivity upon which new employees will build their experience of the organization. Make it clear that they’ve joined a supportive company that rejects mental health stigma and offers equal opportunities to all employees.

It’s a competitive job market, and offering resources and benefits that support employees’ mental health is no longer just a ‘nice to have’.

As many as 92% of graduates say it’s important to feel comfortable discussing mental health with their employer, and 61% would quit their current role for an opportunity with better mental health benefits.

How to support new employees’ mental health

The good news is that there are lots of things employers can do to make a good first impression when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.

And while mental health should be integrated into the end-to-end employee experience, here we’re thinking about your new starter’s crucial first few weeks and months with the company…

1. Establish psychological safety during the hiring process

Start as you mean to go on, as the saying goes.  

It’s important to share – and then demonstrate – your corporate values throughout the hiring process. And if mental health and wellbeing is a company priority, make sure you practice what you preach…

Include information about your wellbeing program and mental health benefits on your careers pages and as part of job listings. Provide an opportunity for candidates to disclose mental health conditions, request adjustments, or ask questions about the types of support offered to employees.

It’s all about setting the scene from the very beginning and proactively demonstrating that employee mental health is a priority for the organization.    

2. Make sure the narrative is consistent

There’s no use talking about how much your organization prioritizes employee wellbeing throughout the hiring process if the workplace norms and messaging tell a completely different story.

The narrative around mental health needs to be honest, open, and consistent.

If you’ve sold a ‘nurturing and supportive’ culture to your new hire, they’re going to feel a bit confused if the first CEO update they receive is all about high performance, hitting targets, and competition.

Ensure your external narrative about mental health is reflective of the internal culture, values, and workplace norms.

Start by encouraging members of the executive team to lead by example. 88% of employees appreciate it when their leaders talk about their mental health, which helps create a supportive culture and a safe space for colleagues to share.

3. Equip managers to start an open conversation about mental health

Ensure line managers have received adequate training to confidently and proactively discuss mental health with their team members.

When a new employee joins their team, managers need to establish a safe environment where the new joiner will feel comfortable openly discussing any issues relating to workload, stress, and mental health.  

Managers should also be regularly reminded of the mental health resources and benefits available to their team members so that they can highlight them when needed. The details are important - make sure all managers and team leaders know what supports are available to whom, where and how they can be accessed, and what workplace adjustments could be considered.    

The CIPD has developed a comprehensive guide for people managers, providing information, templates, and advice to help leaders support members of their teams.

4. Share information on mental health supports and benefits

Information on mental health resources, benefits, and supports should be included as part of your new employee welcome pack or onboarding documents.

This is your opportunity to build upon the supportive foundation you’ve laid throughout the hiring process and first impressions by setting out the tangible things that are on offer. 59% of employees said they would stay at a job due to its comprehensive mental health benefits, so it’s important to lay them all out on the table and ensure new joiners know what’s on offer.

I’m talking about EAP (Employee Assistance Program) offerings, wellbeing benefits, elective mental health training, stress management resources, flexible work schedules, etc.

Don’t assume that your starter will be able to find all of this information by themselves. There is a lot of information and resources to digest when joining a new company, so creating a pack that summarizes the mental health supports available to them will make a big difference.

Creating a mental health pack for new employees

Whether it forms part of your onboarding resources, is a section of your new employee handbook, or is produced as a standalone guide, a mental health pack is a great way to communicate mental health resources and benefits to new joiners.  

Here are some ideas of what you could include –  

• Wellbeing program overview: Set the scene with an overview of the organization’s wider wellbeing program to show the broader context. Outline the other pillars within the program – which might include financial wellbeing, physical health, and nutrition – all of which play a role in supporting mental health.
• Mental health statement: The statement sets out the organization’s position and approach toward mental health. It might be a simple sentence setting out the company’s commitment to supporting employee mental health and wellbeing, or it might go into more detail.  
• EAP information: Provide details about the type of support employees can get from the EAP, including how to access it and the number of free counseling sessions available.
• Training: Include information on learning and development opportunities that are available to support employee mental health and wellbeing. These might include optional courses on managing stress, opportunities to register for in-person training, or upcoming webinar series.
• Mental health first aiders: If your organization has mental health first aiders, make sure you include their details in the pack. Provide a brief overview so new joiners can familiarize themselves with the role of your mental health first aiders and the support that can provide.

To avoid duplicate or outdated content, it’s always best to host this kind of pack in your employee experience platform rather than producing a separate PDF document.