What better time to get together and delve into wellbeing at work? Amongst unsettling times last week Mo and Yulife brought together a passionate and inspiring group of people in the beautiful surroundings of Shoreditch Treehouse, to share how they are tackling wellbeing in the workplace.
To start the evening of honesty, openness and create a moment of zen, we were treated to a guided meditation session before a tasty vegan dinner from Social Pantry.
‘Who watches the watchmen?’
Tara, Head of People at Monzo kicked off with our first course. She turned the focus around and got us thinking about the importance of taking care of HR, so that they have the tools and ability to take care of their people (and they will be needed now more than ever).
HR teams have a big job on their hands and part of that is taking on the problems and worries of their colleagues on a daily basis. This responsibility will have an impact and it is really key that they are given the tools to look after themselves. If your HR team burns out, where will that leave everyone else?
Monzo have grown rapidly in a short period of time, Tara has watched it go from 50 people to 1,500 in just 3 years globally. They have had to learn quickly that they need to make mental health support a habit, a part of life within their culture.
Stay tuned for our special guest blog from Tara later this week for more on this topic and practical ways to create a long term strategy to support and refresh HR teams.
You can also check out our podcast with Tara to hear more about their ongoing wellbeing strategy.
“People are ready to talk but don’t have a safe space to do so”
Onto the main course with George Bettany Co-Founder and COO of Sanctus, who are on a mission to inspire millions to work on their mental health. They are currently focused on bringing Sanctus to the workplace through Sanctus coaching – a safe, impartial, confident space where employees can work on their mental health with a qualified coach.
George shared the inspiring personal story behind Sanctus which stemmed from a blog post that went viral, mental health in start ups.
It was fantastic to hear the positive feedback that George and the team at Sanctus have had from companies they have partnered with, some saying they it has really changed their life.
We know it can be difficult for HR teams to build a business case for mental health to be a priority as it isn’t measurable. George talked through how there are many layers to this, not only is it a moral thing to do but also helps improve productivity, eliminates risk and is these types of care can really attract people to roles within an organisation.
‘’How do you recruit for resilience?’
Ed Griffin, Director of HR and Research at the Institute for Employment Studies. We were amazed by his story and experience within the NHS, higher education, scientific research, financial services and gas and power has given him a well rounded view on wellbeing.
He left us with some recommendations which we would like to share with you, as we are confined to our houses right now we could all do with some good reading:
On Ed’s reading list:
Let my people go surfing
Tiny habits
How to have a good day
A request from Ed –
‘Think about what you can really do to support your staff during corona virus outbreak – be alert to their anxieties, keep connected, check in, use social media to spread positivity.’
This will be our last face to face Mo Community event for now but it was perfectly timed to learn from each other and support in these tough times. If you haven’t yet do sign up for the Mo Community, we are all in this together.
