Leading Recruiter Tackles Workplace Burnout Head On

According to Mental Health UK’s 2024 Burnout Report released earlier this year, 91 per cent of adults reported high or extreme levels of workplace stress.

With national and international days highlighting the importance of supporting mental health, such as Stress Awareness Week this week, it has never been more important than now for businesses to step up and speak out about how to effect positive change on an issue that can affect anyone in any role.

Despite a number of campaigns, the positive impact of mental health awareness within many workplaces is still slow to be implemented efficiently. Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report showed that 35 per cent of people surveyed were uncomfortable voicing concerns about pressure and stress and 49 per cent of workers suggested their employers didn’t have a plan in place to spot signs of chronic stress.

Emma-Louise Taylor, Gi Group’s Head of Learning and Development and winner of the ‘Rising Star of the Year’ award at the 2023 British Training Awards, comments: “Burnout is a really hot topic in society now, there is much more awareness and research into the pressures and challenges of the working world which means people are far more clued up. Though this shift within society has brought important topics of mental health to the forefront of communities, there is still a large portion of workforces facing stress and burnout – sometimes going completely under the radar of management.

“It is really important that employers don’t just have a plan in place to support someone experiencing burnout, but that they are able to spot the signs early and create a positive solution. Scenarios such as poor working relationships, issues with communication, social and technological changes and overwhelming challenges are all scenarios that can cause burnout.

“To ensure the success of a business, it is vital employers create a supportive and positive working environment. Encouraging a social workplace culture, recognising hard work and offering workplace training are all accessible ways to mitigate work-related burnout.”

In the last year, Emma-Louise and her team have been recognised at the HR Awards, the British Training Awards and the British Recruitment Awards for their hard work, dedication and passion for putting Gi Group on the map as a business that values and supports its diverse workforce.

Against the backdrop of rising levels of people out of work due to long-term sickness, YouGov and Mental Health UK polled 2,000 UK adults which revealed one in five workers (20%) needed to take time off due to poor mental health caused by stress in the past year.

Emma-Louise continued: “Getting away from your desk and supporting your local community is a great way to harness a more positive working environment and workplace culture. Here at Gi Group, we run volunteer days for our teams to get creative and step away from their normal working day. A new perspective and spending time with colleagues away from your usual routine can really help employees to feel supported, valued and productive.

“It is important not to create a vision of work where stress doesn’t exist however. Stress is part and parcel of working towards goals and sometimes it can’t be avoided. People often underestimate the positive impact of stress, if experienced in small doses. It can help individuals to meet challenges, reach goals, enhance resilience and self-motivate. But to prevent the negative impacts of stress, its important employers recognise the signs of burnout. Reduced performance, alienation and increased addictive substance use are all serious signs of potential burnout and are clear indicators that the individual needs workplace support.”

The Health and Safety Executive found that in the UK, 875,000 workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2022/2023, which resulted in 17.1 million working days lost. This staggering statistic helps to highlight the importance of workplace mental health support, to reduce the number of working days lost.

Emma-Louise added: “The severity of burnout goes beyond workplace challenges, it can cause serious health issues for individuals which can really impact a business’s productivity and success. First and foremost, an organisations priority is its employees and in order to manage effectively, employers must prioritise the mental wellbeing of its workforce and recognise the early signs of workplace stress and burnout.

“International Stress Awareness week is as good a reason as any to start and maintain a serious conversation around raising awareness and educating decision makers on the signs and impact of stress and burnout within the workplace.”