Mental health in start-ups: are you part of the problem?

 

This is especially true for rapidly growing start-ups. But many start-ups struggle to create a workplace that’s healthy, happy and productive. Some simply don’t know where to begin. Others are afraid of talking about wellbeing, or they worry about the stigma that still surrounds it.

 

The truth is, mental health is just as important as physical health. And it’s something that every business should be taking seriously.

 

So what should organisations do? The promotion of good wellbeing requires leaders who are committed to developing a culture of openness, flexibility around the needs of individuals, a readiness to listen to their concerns and an insistence on achieving a good work-life balance.

 

 

Business leaders must promote wellbeing at work. This is both a legal and an ethical requirement. It includes ensuring that stress management is included in health and safety policies and that the importance of being aware of their colleagues’ wellbeing is part of an employee’s induction and training.

 

But success here goes far beyond policy documents and training sessions. Leaders should appreciate their personal importance in setting culture and in providing the confidence that the organisation they are running is somewhere people want to be and are happy to be.

 

Wellbeing does not always feel like a priority for business leaders, especially perhaps on day one of a start-up or in the middle of a rapid growth phase. But the typical company life-cycle proves time and again that all the money invested in recruiting great teams will go to waste if those teams aren’t nurtured and supported in a way that is in line with their priorities. For that reason, if for no other, leaders must step up.

 

And the leaders of start-ups in particular need to step up right at the beginning of their journey. Setting the right tone about wellbeing is essential from day one, even before the first potential employee is approached. That’s because leaders also need to take care of their own mental health as well as that of their employees – and those who do so are much more effective.

 

Building the right culture from the very beginning means that, as the organisation grows and succeeds, it will be able to carry the talent it has attracted with it along the journey to success.

 

 

Pressure is one factor that motivates people to be productive: some stress is helpful, and many people even enjoy it. However, too much stress can demotivate workers and cause mental harm.

 

Pressure rises and falls within any organisation, and people’s ability to cope with it also varies day by day. So it is critical that mental health is out in the open and able to be discussed whenever necessary. Employees should always know that they can talk about their wellbeing with an appropriate person.

 

It could be their line manager, who should always be prepared to talk to people about how they are feeling. However, many employees won’t want to talk to their line manager about wellbeing. According to our research, two thirds of employees feel that it is important to have someone at work they can speak to about their wellbeing, but only 39 per cent feel they would want to discuss it with a senior member of the team. So while managers should make it clear that they wish to be supportive, they should not be intrusive.

 

Instead, organisations should create environments where there is openness about mental health and where there are different avenues, formal and informal, for people to take, as well as tools and resources that can be used by employees to make better decisions about managing their own health and wellbeing.

 

 

As well as a culture of openness, organisations can support wellbeing with a flexible approach to work. Hybrid working in particular can promote mental health.

 

A massive 83 per cent of respondents in our research placed access to flexible working as having the biggest impact on their wellbeing, and companies with a structured hybrid working pattern see the highest levels of wellbeing scores. Indeed, a failure to engage with hybrid working can be a danger sign: 71 per cent of employees who do not take advantage of their company’s hybrid working opportunities are likely to be looking for work elsewhere.

 

There are of course practical constraints to flexible working. The parameters, such as core hours and mandatory days in the office, need to be formalised in written policies so that everyone understands the boundaries. Clarity is key.

 

 

Another important factor influencing wellbeing is downtime. Employees should not be made to feel that they must generate tangible outputs every minute they are at work. Chatting with colleagues over a coffee is a valuable part of communication and team building in any office: look at it as productive time. Taking a lunchbreak should be encouraged, even if it is just reading at the desk (a healthy walk is even better). Holidays should be sacrosanct.

 

In all, it’s essential to make sure employees have an appropriate work-life balance: an insistence on regular late working, inflexibility over personal emergencies, and disturbing people with work emails at the weekend (illegal in France) can be extremely demotivating.

 

Pressurised line managers may need support here, not just for themselves but also so that they can understand the importance of separating the personal lives of their teams from work time.

 

 

High levels of stress are often caused by people feeling that they are underappreciated or ignored. This isn’t a difficult problem to solve. Managers simply need to take the time to say thank you occasionally. Even better, leaders should build a listening culture where ideas are welcomed from everyone.

 

Not everyone can take strategic decisions. But a listening culture is healthy – and it stimulates innovation. Employees should always feel that they have a voice, that their opinions are valued and that their concerns are listened to and evaluated. Team away days are useful. But a monthly “town hall” meeting in the office, where everyone is free to speak, and where managers are forced to listen, clears the air and surfaces opportunities as well as tensions.

 

 

Businesses are increasingly focused on creating a positive employee experience. This means providing a workplace that is supportive, engaging and rewarding. A strong focus on wellbeing is an important part of this.

 

To succeed with any wellbeing initiative, organisations need to know what actions to take and whether these are having the desired effect. It’s best to start the process by mapping the existing levels of wellbeing in your organisation with a wellbeing survey.

 

 

In the technology sector, the well-reported layoffs of the past few months have put increased pressure on those who remain, giving them additional reason to quit. In this volatile environment, employers must take real care of how their employees are thinking and feeling if they are to retain the best talent, especially when skills are in short supply.

 

And even in well-funded start-ups, where early employees are likely to believe passionately in the potential of the business they work for, there is always the need to perform with a high level of skill and imagination. Passionate employees face dangers from overwork and high stress. If they burn out, they will be lost to the company. Their wellbeing is a critical business success factor.

 

Delivering high levels of wellness does not have to be difficult. The key to success is wanting to succeed. If your organisation develops a culture that is open and flexible, respectful of people’s personal lives, and where everyone has a chance be heard, then you will be a long way down the road to creating a workforce that is engaged, happy and healthy: a workforce that will power your organisation to further success.