Among the many transformations that the pandemic has inspired in the world of work, one of the most welcome and anticipated is the growing attention paid to mental health of employeessays Karan Singh, chief operations officer and chief human resources officer at Headspace.
“People are willing to discuss, among leaders and leaders, the importance of foundational mental health for business continuity,” says Singh. It’s a topic that has been central to Singh’s career: in 2011, he co-founded the mental health tool Ginger, which in 2021 merged with Headspace, a meditation and mindfulness platform. The marriage of the two companies has created a comprehensive mental health and wellness solutions provider valued at $3 billion and employing approximately 1,000 people.
The growing demand for mental health services in recent years – the number of registered users doubled during the first year of the pandemic – represents a step in the right direction, but there is still “some way to go,” Singh says, to alleviate the stigma surrounding seeking mental health care. And employers have a vital role to play, he says.
It’s an idea that’s central to Headspace’s HR strategy, fueled by a culture that values flexibility and recognizes the power of self-care, he says. In keeping with this culture, all employees have lifetime access to Headspace tools, including the new Finding Your Best Sleep program, a three-week course that aims to instill better sleep habits – a goal that Singh says is the cornerstone of one’s own mental development. health care plan.
Singh recently opened up about how he deals with his mental health and what he hopes other HR leaders can do to continue to deepen the conversation about employee mental health.
Singh: I think they are very complementary, that is, to achieve our mission and vision, we need both: hiring and retaining incredible talent and ensuring we achieve our core goals. In many ways, the leader role and the operator role work hand in hand; I don’t see them as belonging to two separate fields, even though people often come from different disciplines and backgrounds.
HRE: Given the space you’re in, what are you focusing on when it comes to supporting employee mental health?
Singh: We believe that culture and mental health are inextricably linked, and this is a priority for our clients but also internally, where we ensure we establish a culture that supports mental health, focused on resilience, i.e. – say do less but better. As leaders, we can set an example of good mental hygiene, which can be preventive and proactive: detecting problems as early as possible, combating stigma, informing people when they encounter difficulties and what what they can do to ask for help.
For example, we hold mindfulness days every two weeks where people can take time to look after their own mental health. (We offer) flexible working arrangements, meeting-free Fridays, meditations to kick off meetings: all of that is valuable and it goes back to the culture. There needs to be context to ensure people have the time they need for their mental health. And then it’s about making sure that we have great benefits, access to mental health care and support.
HRE: How do you help employees cope with ongoing uncertainty and change?
Singh: The only constant is change, and there is certainly a lot of change going on right now and, for lack of a better word, crisis. Leaders manage from week to week, and that starts with really focusing on creating an environment, laying the foundation so that when a crisis arises, people can engage in authentic conversation.
Very often, when I communicate with other leaders in this field, I hear them say that change is so difficult to manage and overcome when you’re in it. But you have to start well before. It comes down to putting the right culture in place, the right level of psychological safety so that people feel like they can be their fullest selves.
And then you have to recognize the limitations that you have as a human leader, which means that we don’t know all the answers. There is a lot of complexities of global challenges right now and certainly the political challenges. Employees expect answers from their leaders and, in reality, we don’t necessarily have them. But what we can do is create space for dialogue, relying on things like our ERPs or our affinity groups, which can be powerful, supportive communities. And we also need to encourage people to find resources outside of the workplace.
HRE: How would you assess recent progress by employers in combating mental health stigma?
Singh: We have made progress, certainly over the last decade and even more over the last few years, following COVID 19. We’ve taken mental health from behind the scenes to the boardroom. But we are not there yet. We still have a way to go to continue investing in employee resources and eliminating stigma. Hopefully the pace of change of recent years continues, but there needs to be continued investment and support – not a retreat now that we are out of the pandemic.
Most people have realized how fundamentally connected life, health and mental health are, and what the pandemic has revealed is underinvestment – frankly, for decades – in this area. We’re starting to see stigma diminish as business executives, athletes, and people in pop culture speak more openly about their struggles. I hope the next phase will be a significant increase in the level of investment in real support. It goes beyond therapy: meditation and mindfulness, access to services and content, approved clinical support. This is the next phase.
See also: EEOC Commissioner Explains What’s Driving the ‘Explosion’ of Mental Health Discrimination Complaints
HRE: Headspace has seen strong growth in recent years. What advice would you give to other HR professionals to help employees during times of rapid growth?
Singh: The first is to name it. Change is difficult and constant. And certainly, any high-growth organization that has a big mission must continue to build resilience and be clear about its vision and its values: what you seek to achieve, how you can achieve it, the goals to be achieved. he. And then you need to think about how you can do less but better.
More often than not, change can lead to burnout as you add more and subtract less. Organizations are really good at asking for more, not less. But (do less but better) has become a big mantra for us at Headspace internally. Anyone growing quickly can easily add items to the pile, but then it becomes cumbersome and unmanageable. part of the process for HR is to understand what not do to continue to evolve.
HRE: As a busy leader, how do you personally take care of your own mental health?
Singh: Having been a founder and having worn many hats over the years, including as a people leader, I have made a lot of mistakes and learned what not to do, which is how I have come to adopt the mantra “do less but better”.
When my daughter was born (she’s 8), she played a big role in my strength to say, “There needs to be a clear line between ‘the things I do at work’ and ‘the things I do at home » » so that I can be fully present with her. One of my #1 strategies has become mindfulness practices; I meditate daily and, for me, that happens in nature, which I find to be one of the best antidotes to all-day/daily Zoom sessions. I live in California, so meditating among the redwoods…it’s a great time for me to realize how small I am, and I find it incredibly helpful.
I also have a group of other entrepreneurs that I’ve been meeting with once a month for years now. It’s like a forum where we come together and talk about work, family, personal life and give each other our unbiased views, much like a coach who can listen and replay what he hears. This has been a powerful resource to help me pause, reflect, and not just react immediately.
The final step in my own mental health playbook is getting good, consistent sleep. It’s not something I did when I first started my business, but I have come to understand how fundamental good sleep is to good health. We are incredibly excited about the work we are doing with our recently launched specialty sleep program. This is a three-week program based on a series of evidence-based mental health approaches, with specific coaching and training. We have seen incredible results and it is something we will continue to invest in as a central pillar of our overall mental health program.
Ultimately, one of the things I’ve heard most often from other popular leaders is how unsustainable this role can be. You play a really critical role for people and are a resource, and you can become an emotional sponge to the rest of the organization. Keeping this aside can be taxing. It is therefore extremely important to invest in your mental health.
