When I started in recruitment in the 90s in West London, twelve-hour days were the norm–followed by going out and getting drunk. It was a laddish culture where we burned the candle at both ends, and the concept of a “Mental Health Awareness Week” would probably have been met with ridicule.
So when I established Sewell Wallis, I wanted it to be the opposite of that culture. I purposely created a culture that’s caring and nurturing. One of the main functions of recruitment is talking–so our focus as a business is, “Let’s talk”. We embed mental health support throughout our business in all kinds of ways:
We have Mental Health First Aiders who are directors of the business
We offer a confidential mental health helpline, Health Assured
We check in with our people’s mental health during their performance reviews and encourage them to be open
We’re aware of our people’s mental health challenges–including those associated with events like bereavement or hospitalisation, or even positive events like a wedding or having children
We don’t work excessive hours
We stay up to date with the latest mental health knowledge and regularly attend training events
Mental health is on the Board agenda every month
As a result, the atmosphere at Sewell Wallis really is the antithesis of the bad old days. Aggression and bravado have been replaced with genuine positivity and a supportive atmosphere where people and careers flourish.
Because we’ve witnessed first-hand the difference mental health support can make, we’re keen to help our clients in that area too. We’ve noticed that while the larger businesses and accountancy practices we work with already have mental health support in place, a lot of the smaller ones don’t.
We provide advice on getting started with mental health support at work as part of the holistic service we offer. It’s never just about the fees for us–we’re looking to build long-term partnerships and help you retain the people you recruit so you don’t have to keep coming back to us too often.
If you’d like some free, friendly, expert advice on taking the first steps to providing mental health support in your organisation, get in touch today, and let’s talk.
