Addressing Mental Health Stigma In The Workplace

Do not let your friends get to this point ↴ Rock bottom. In a profession like recruiting (external), many of us, including myself, have reached this point multiple times. The pressure is palatable, especially for high-pressure solo practitioners where our success determines if we feed our families. 👉 Let's break down the concerns ↴ 1. Burnout   → Unrealistic targets and the "always-on" nature of the job add to this stress and mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. 2. Rejection Fatigue → The "No's" add up: Constantly dealing with candidates' & clients' rejections or disappointments can create feelings of inadequacy or failure. 3. Pressure for Performance → Intense Metrics-driven environments can result in overwhelming stress to meet KPIs. Economic factors, such as layoffs or hiring freezes, add further stress. 4. Emotional Toll of Candidate Support → Supporting them through brutal rejections or coaching them to improve can be draining. 5. Isolation in Remote Work → For some, the shift to remote recruitment has reduced in-office camaraderie, increased feelings of isolation & impacted mental well-being. 👉 What to look out for in our industry colleagues, friends and family↴ 1. Decreased Productivity Missed deadlines, lower placements, or poor performance relative to prior output. 2. Physical Symptoms → Fatigue, headaches, disrupted sleep, or drastic weight/appetite changes. 3. Changes in Attitude or Behavior → Irritability, reduced communication, or withdrawal from team interactions. 4. Reduced Job Satisfaction → Expressing dissatisfaction or lack of fulfillment in the role. (not standard sarcasm)🙄 5. Impaired Decision-Making → Difficulty managing priorities or making clear, strategic choices. 👉 Strategies to Address Mental Health in Recruitment ↴ 1. Normalize Mental Health Conversations → Provide a culture where discussing stress or seeking help is welcomed and not stigmatized. 2. Reasonable Targets and Metrics  → Ensure KPIs are ambitious but achievable to reduce unnecessary pressure. 3. Flexible Work Arrangements → Encourage work-life harmony through remote work flexibility or mental health days. 4. Mental Health Resources Offer access to counseling, therapy, or stress management programs. 5. Peer Support Networks → Build spaces where recruiters can share experiences & coping strategies. 6. Training Managers to Spot Signs → Equip leaders to recognize when team members need support & how to provide it effectively. Recruitment is a team sport & we must look out for each other as humans. Keep an eye on your friends who do this solo and check in on them. It's like a REAL check-in. Together, we can make a difference! 👉 And before you write some snarky comment about job seekers or other professions, YES, these tips can apply to all. But right now, I am focusing on my industry to spread the word and make a difference. Thank you!  

Let me tell you why I was overjoyed to see Taye Diggs supporting his sister… When I represented people on the brink of homelessness, I learned that 20% of unhoused people have schizophrenia. I remember seeing how this process plays out: 👉🏾A diagnosis. 👉🏾An already fickle job market ready to fire or push out anyone who doesn’t produce. 👉🏾A landlord itching to evict longtime tenants and bring in higher paying ones, all too happy to receive one measly complaint about you. 👉🏾And a family completely unprepared for the storm. How can you help? ✅Organize a mental health resource group on your job. This cultivates a culture of support rather than stigmatization. ✅Create a list of therapist recommendations. ✅Train leaders on reasonable accommodation policies. ✅Train staff on disability advocacy. If people in your workplace are afraid to take sick days because they don’t want to miss work, that’s your clue that your institutional culture isn’t as healthy as it can be.

While I’m a big advocate for remote work, there is a real downside to seeing each other less. 👇 It’s harder to know when you need to be asking: “How ARE you? How is your mental health?” So, what can we do about it? 1️⃣ Normalise the conversation, starting at the top. Talk about mental health. Tell your employees, hey, if you’re struggling in any way, I want to hear about it. 2️⃣ Train your HR teams and your managers to do the same. There has to be a trust factor. If I don't feel safe as an employee, I won't talk to you about it. 3️⃣ Proactively check in. If you think someone might be struggling, ask them if they’re okay. In the future, I see the potential of having a feedback mechanism to help. Not just a survey or review asking about performance and work/life balance—something that actually helps us to measure our employees’ happiness. In addition to: - How well is this person performing? We ask: - How happy are you in this job? - In your broader life? - How do you feel right now? All of this will help to create a culture where people feel comfortable talking about their mental health, and employers can feel empowered to provide help where and how it’s needed. What do you think? Am I on the right track? #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #HR #humanresources

"What are you struggling with right now?" Last week, I recorded a video at Google in advance of #maymentalhealthmonth. I offered no tips, tricks or theory. Just real talk on my struggles. Why? I've openly shared about my struggles with mental health, and spoken more generally about mental health in the workplace for almost two years now. Regarding "mental health", what I've seen firsthand by talking to hundreds of people is that: - we are not lacking tips and tricks - we still have an awareness gap around mental health, but it's shrinking - we have plenty of theory to learn, but the bigger issue is bridging theory and practice But the biggest issue by far IMO? Stigma. Why? Because you can't get help with struggles you can't talk about. Because you can't solve a problem that you can't talk about. Because you can't be seen if everyone seems to be hiding. So in the video, I talked almost exclusively about what's going on with me: that I struggled with depression (again) for the last few weeks that I told my team about it and gave them guidance on how to best work with me while I'm struggling, and how we mitigate impact on the work that I was taking steps to get to a better place for now If you're a leader in the workplace, especially if you're in a position of authority, this is what people are asking you to do: - Stop talking about OTHER peoples' struggles. - Stop talking ABOUT mental health like it's separate from us. - Start talking about YOUR struggles and/or mental health, so that your people feel safe to do so as well. #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #loneliness #belonging #workplacementalhealth #workplacewellbeing #leadership #endthestigma

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to hide your mental health struggles at work. ✋🏽 I know I have. For years, I functioned in silence, carrying not one but two mental health diagnoses. And I know I’m not alone. Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental health conditions in the United States. In fact, the U.S. ranks among the highest globally in cases of mental illness. That means in every workplace, every industry, and every team— someone is struggling. Maybe it’s a colleague. Maybe it’s you. Yet, our systems still make it easier to hide rather than heal. We’ve normalized pushing through, showing up exhausted, pretending everything’s fine— because the workplace wasn’t designed to hold space for mental health. Some mask in more ways than one for some of us. But it doesn’t have to be this way. And it’s also why I’ve worked with organizations to assess their policies, procedures, and practices—helping them integrate mental health systems that actually support their people. Because mental wellness isn’t a perk; it’s a necessity for people to work at optimization levels. Leaders, this is our challenge: 🧠 Normalize conversations about mental health. 💡 Build policies that support—not punish—employees who struggle. 🤝 Create cultures where no one feels they have to hide. I refuse to accept that suffering in silence is “just how it is.” Do you? Let’s change this together. #MentalHealth #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence