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Holistic Workplace Wellbeing: 6 Ways Employers Can Unlock Greater Engagement and Productivity

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A quarter of employees believe their job negatively affects both their mental and physical health, according to the CIPD’s Good Work Index 2025. This represents roughly 8.5 million working people in the UK.
The same report also highlights that poor workplace relationships harm productivity, specifically pointing to the influence that poor relationships with colleagues and line managers have.
Furthermore, “those whose work affects their mental health negatively are more likely to quit, less likely to recommend their employer, and have lower job satisfaction”.
With a clear link between wellbeing and business outcomes, businesses need to act for the sake of the organisation’s longevity and its people.
But how do businesses nurture employee physical and mental health?
#1 Inspiring meaningful conversations 
Speaking about challenges that affect work and productivity can feel overwhelming for many, especially those who feel uncertain of the underlying implications this may have on how they’re perceived. A workplace that champions conversations about mental and physical wellbeing gives employees the courage to seek the support they need.
Language matters. Medical terms such as ‘disorder’, ‘condition’ or ‘syndrome’ have a way of stigmatising issues, isolating those who feel labelled and defined by such terms. The imperative lies in replacing harsh and divisive medical language with open and honest conversations based on common ground. Everyone, at one point in their lives, is likely to experience some form of mental or physical strain born from circumstances out of their control.
#2 Remembering physical health 
A holistic wellbeing approach can build an engaged and happy workforce. With conversation focused on mental health, it can be easy to let physical health fall to the wayside, especially if businesses are caught out in thinking that adverse physical effects are only related to physically demanding jobs.
Ergonomic issues related to sedentary work have a profound effect on employee wellbeing and should be efficiently and effectively remedied. Third-party occupational health support is an excellent avenue that provides expert support to all employees.
For a business to see the full picture, corporate health assessments (completed internally or externally with employees in the office or working remotely) help identify individual work challenges and introduce appropriate offerings based on the findings.
For example, making steps towards change can be as simple as carrying out assessments of and adjustments to display screen equipment. No matter the size or budget of a business, this is effective and helpful to all employees. Where required, access to in-person or online physiotherapy will prevent and remedy musculoskeletal problems resulting from sedentary work.
Further inclusion of fitness classes through employee membership programmes, cycle to work schemes, and home office set-up budgets will enhance physical wellbeing throughout.
#3 Mobilising leaders and managers 
Providing managers with training that champions conversations about mental and physical wellbeing can be meaningful and impactful. While it may be difficult to reach out for help, supporting someone’s wellbeing can be a heavy load for someone ill-equipped to manage it.
Physical and mental first aid training equips managers and leaders with the skills they need to confidently support their colleagues. In turn, those in need of support know that their managers and colleagues are educated and equipped to support them.
#4 Auditing available support 
To provide the full support employees need, start by auditing what physical and mental health support is currently available, committing to fill any shortfalls. Part of this involves ensuring that the support is available is all-encompassing, catering to those who may find it more difficult to take up available support.
A popular programme provided by businesses across the UK is the employee assistance programme (EAP), while others might provide access to counselling or advice through charities or local community services. All these lines of support give employees the courage to address their wellbeing through a service provided through their workplace.
When it comes to physical wellbeing, policies are the most practical way to disseminate information and educate employees about how they can enhance their physical wellbeing at work, and what support is available to them. These policies can include advice and guidance for employees on how they should set up their workspaces in the office or at home.
#5 Building meaningful workplace relationships 
Businesses committed to fostering a culture of recognition and engagement know the fundamental role this plays in ensuring employees have strong relationships with one another.
Workplace relationships are instrumental in supporting physical and mental health, as highlighted by the CIPD.
As a byproduct, a workplace built upon mutual respect and strong relationships breeds a culture of recognition and engagement. Employees who are appreciated and valued are not only happier at work but 43 percent more effective, too.
Championing recognition as a leadership tool, personalising recognition and wellbeing support, and providing space for authentic connection is something all managers should be trained and aligned on. Communication and social engagement will thrive as employees work together as colleagues and friends.
#6 Recruiting with wellness in mind
Holistic wellbeing starts at recruitment, and candidates increasingly judge an employer based on their approach. Businesses must stay competitive to appeal to the needs of an increasingly stressed-out population.
Recent research shows that one in every five Brits find themselves feeling stressed every day. Stress affects mental and physical wellbeing in a myriad of ways, and more people are looking to prioritise a healthy work-life balance.
Organisations offering wellness programmes, access to health services, fitness packages, and mental health support will be prioritised by sought-after talent. Word of mouth and reputation will precede this kind of organisation, organically attracting prospective employees before and during recruitment initiatives.
By Chris Britton, People Experience Director at Reward Gateway | Edenred.
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    Holistic Workplace Wellbeing: 6 Ways Employers Can Unlock Greater Engagement and Productivity

    A quarter of employees believe their job negatively affects both their mental and physical health, according to the CIPD’s Good Work Index 2025. This represents roughly 8.5 million working people in the UK.
    The same report also highlights that poor workplace relationships harm productivity, specifically pointing to the influence that poor relationships with colleagues and line managers have.
    Furthermore, “those whose work affects their mental health negatively are more likely to quit, less likely to recommend their employer, and have lower job satisfaction”.
    With a clear link between wellbeing and business outcomes, businesses need to act for the sake of the organisation’s longevity and its people.
    But how do businesses nurture employee physical and mental health?
    #1 Inspiring meaningful conversations 
    Speaking about challenges that affect work and productivity can feel overwhelming for many, especially those who feel uncertain of the underlying implications this may have on how they’re perceived. A workplace that champions conversations about mental and physical wellbeing gives employees the courage to seek the support they need.
    Language matters. Medical terms such as ‘disorder’, ‘condition’ or ‘syndrome’ have a way of stigmatising issues, isolating those who feel labelled and defined by such terms. The imperative lies in replacing harsh and divisive medical language with open and honest conversations based on common ground. Everyone, at one point in their lives, is likely to experience some form of mental or physical strain born from circumstances out of their control.
    #2 Remembering physical health 
    A holistic wellbeing approach can build an engaged and happy workforce. With conversation focused on mental health, it can be easy to let physical health fall to the wayside, especially if businesses are caught out in thinking that adverse physical effects are only related to physically demanding jobs.
    Ergonomic issues related to sedentary work have a profound effect on employee wellbeing and should be efficiently and effectively remedied. Third-party occupational health support is an excellent avenue that provides expert support to all employees.
    For a business to see the full picture, corporate health assessments (completed internally or externally with employees in the office or working remotely) help identify individual work challenges and introduce appropriate offerings based on the findings.
    For example, making steps towards change can be as simple as carrying out assessments of and adjustments to display screen equipment. No matter the size or budget of a business, this is effective and helpful to all employees. Where required, access to in-person or online physiotherapy will prevent and remedy musculoskeletal problems resulting from sedentary work.
    Further inclusion of fitness classes through employee membership programmes, cycle to work schemes, and home office set-up budgets will enhance physical wellbeing throughout.
    #3 Mobilising leaders and managers 
    Providing managers with training that champions conversations about mental and physical wellbeing can be meaningful and impactful. While it may be difficult to reach out for help, supporting someone’s wellbeing can be a heavy load for someone ill-equipped to manage it.
    Physical and mental first aid training equips managers and leaders with the skills they need to confidently support their colleagues. In turn, those in need of support know that their managers and colleagues are educated and equipped to support them.
    #4 Auditing available support 
    To provide the full support employees need, start by auditing what physical and mental health support is currently available, committing to fill any shortfalls. Part of this involves ensuring that the support is available is all-encompassing, catering to those who may find it more difficult to take up available support.
    A popular programme provided by businesses across the UK is the employee assistance programme (EAP), while others might provide access to counselling or advice through charities or local community services. All these lines of support give employees the courage to address their wellbeing through a service provided through their workplace.
    When it comes to physical wellbeing, policies are the most practical way to disseminate information and educate employees about how they can enhance their physical wellbeing at work, and what support is available to them. These policies can include advice and guidance for employees on how they should set up their workspaces in the office or at home.
    #5 Building meaningful workplace relationships 
    Businesses committed to fostering a culture of recognition and engagement know the fundamental role this plays in ensuring employees have strong relationships with one another.
    Workplace relationships are instrumental in supporting physical and mental health, as highlighted by the CIPD.
    As a byproduct, a workplace built upon mutual respect and strong relationships breeds a culture of recognition and engagement. Employees who are appreciated and valued are not only happier at work but 43 percent more effective, too.
    Championing recognition as a leadership tool, personalising recognition and wellbeing support, and providing space for authentic connection is something all managers should be trained and aligned on. Communication and social engagement will thrive as employees work together as colleagues and friends.
    #6 Recruiting with wellness in mind
    Holistic wellbeing starts at recruitment, and candidates increasingly judge an employer based on their approach. Businesses must stay competitive to appeal to the needs of an increasingly stressed-out population.
    Recent research shows that one in every five Brits find themselves feeling stressed every day. Stress affects mental and physical wellbeing in a myriad of ways, and more people are looking to prioritise a healthy work-life balance.
    Organisations offering wellness programmes, access to health services, fitness packages, and mental health support will be prioritised by sought-after talent. Word of mouth and reputation will precede this kind of organisation, organically attracting prospective employees before and during recruitment initiatives.
    By Chris Britton, People Experience Director at Reward Gateway | Edenred.
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    Systemizing Candor: The 3-Step Cycle to Build a High-Candor Culture

    In any workplace, candor drives clarity, alignment, and growth. When people avoid tough conversations, withhold or sugarcoat feedback, or talk around the real issues, it slows progress or things start to break. But a culture of honesty and directness doesn’t just happen — it has to be designed into how the organization operates. A high-candor culture isn’t a vibe or a value — it’s a system.
    At Garner, we’ve architected a system that makes candor a natural, everyday part of how we work. This 3-step cycle lays out the framework we’ve used to operationalize a high-candor culture — one that can be adapted to the cultural goals of any organization.
    Step 1 – Expectations: codify candor clearly, and where it matters.
    Countless companies list candor in their values or operating principles — let’s call that Step 0. The first step toward operationalizing a high-candor culture is clearly articulating the specific behaviors that entails. It sounds obvious, but it’s worth stating: people can’t meet expectations that aren’t defined.
    Define the behaviors. Employees need to understand what “candor” means for your organization. Often, it’s not about saying whatever’s on your mind without a filter. Should feedback be direct but delivered with care and empathy? Should it be actionable? Are there appropriate or inappropriate settings? How soon should concerns be raised, and to whom? Equally important is setting standards for receiving feedback — what does a healthy reaction, self-reflection, and integration look like? Candor falls flat if no one knows how to handle it.
    Tailor expectations by role or level. Define how standards vary by job type, level, or career stage—outlined through a cultural competency framework. What does candor look like for an entry-level employee? A manager? An executive? For example, Garner’s competencies progress from flagging individual issues, to surfacing recurring themes and pushing to resolve them, to delivering developmental feedback across levels, to creating an environment where candor thrives. Level-specific expectations help embed candor in a way that’s relevant, attainable, and impactful for each person’s responsibilities.
    Embed in decision-making systems. Like any key skill, these expectations must be integrated into the systems that drive decisions — hiring rubrics, performance reviews, development plans, and promotion criteria. This is critical: a value or competency isn’t truly operationalized until it shapes who you hire, how you grow people, and who you reward.
    Step 2 – Mechanisms: design feedback opportunities into the flow of work.
    Once expectations are clear, build systems that make candor a natural part of work. Provide clear, structured opportunities — or even requirements — to practice candor. Structure gives people reps that build the muscle to give feedback in unstructured, everyday moments. Formal feedback mechanisms help normalize informal candor, so over time, people do it naturally on their own.
    Create opportunities. This could take the form of feedback prompts in one-on-ones, 360 feedback during reviews, non-anonymous company or team surveys, and project retrospectives. Determine the natural cadences — or new mechanisms to introduce — that create the opportunity for candor.
    Design the prompts. Craft questions that draw honesty and make it easier to address tough topics. For example, in our peer and upward feedback prompts, we ask, “What can this person improve on?” and make it a required question. This signals that everyone has development areas and it’s each person’s responsibility to help peers — and senior leaders — grow.
    Assess and adapt. Giving feedback alone isn’t enough — it must align with your cultural competencies and add real value. Regularly review the feedback quality and delivery: Is it honest? Actionable? Thoughtful? Spot what’s working and what’s not. Refine prompts, coach where needed, and continuously improve both your systems and your people.
    Step 3 – Enablement: equip and empower people to do it well.
    Most people aren’t naturally skilled at giving or receiving feedback — it’s a learned behavior. We’ve heard employees say they have been penalized in a past role for giving critical feedback to a senior leader. They need to trust not only that candor is expected in your organization, but that they can do it effectively — and that it will be welcomed.
    Invest in training. Teach why candor matters and how to practice it well — both in giving and receiving. Let people observe, dissect, and practice examples of strong vs. weak feedback. Give feedback on the feedback.
    Make it real. Use real, non-scripted case studies to ground training in your company’s context. For example, at Garner’s recent company offsite, we led a culture training for 200+ attendees using a real meeting recording. We prompted poll responses at key moments throughout the video and guided targeted discussions on how each stakeholder approached the issue. The session concluded with the actual meeting participants sharing their own reflections — highlighting our values of transparency and self-reflection. People said this exercise not only taught tangible behaviors but demonstrated that candor at Garner is a lived practice embedded in how we operate.
    Introduce early, revisit often. Cultural onboarding is the moment to set the tone and establish expectations. But it shouldn’t stop there — regularly assess how the culture plays out and offer targeted refresher training at least annually.
    Model and reinforce the behavior. Leaders need to be at the forefront of demonstrating candor aligned with your cultural standards. Just as critical is reinforcing it — recognizing and celebrating when others do it well. The harder the feedback was to give, the more important it is to acknowledge. That can be as simple as saying, “Thanks for the feedback,” every time. When someone gives thoughtful, constructive input, highlight it publicly. Show that candor isn’t just accepted — it’s valued.
    Conclusion
    A high-candor culture is built through a system of clear expectations, embedded mechanisms, and ongoing enablement. As you observe and reinforce behaviors, you’ll uncover what’s working — and what’s not — creating a continuous feedback loop that sharpens the expectations set at the start. That’s why operationalizing candor is a cycle, not a one-time initiative. It takes intention and consistency to sustain a culture that accelerates progress.
    By Nadia Uberoi, Head of People at Garner Health.
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    How Remote Companies Can Spark In-Person Innovation

    When I started Social Tables, our 3,000-square-foot loft in D.C. was chaos in the best way. An open office where different teams bled into one another, Sonos playlists were curated by the week’s most productive sales rep, and desks on wheels meant anyone could move anywhere.
    What I didn’t realize at the time was that an environment like the one we created fueled our innovation culture.
    Today, remote and hybrid work are here to stay. Most companies aren’t mandating RTO—and for good reason. Productivity has remained virtually the same while employee preferences sway heavily toward being remote.
    But here’s the tension: while output might look fine on paper, innovation—especially the kind that requires rapid feedback and creative tension—suffers when people aren’t in the same room.
    In other words, it’s easier to innovate when people feel a sense of connection and belonging.
    The innovation gap of remote work
    A recent McKinsey paper backs this up: “Remote workers require additional leadership support, including guidance and guardrails on the tasks at hand, but also to secure buy-in or funding from other leaders.” When people are in the same space, ideas naturally collide. It’s hard to riff on a Zoom. Leaders coach in real time, which is something you can’t do on Slack.
    So, how do remote-first companies innovate without dragging people back to the office?
    Offsites as a strategy
    The unironic answer is to bring together teams whose work  requires innovation IRL. Not into the office or on a retreat-style reward, but to a purposefully designed offsite.
    Go further, by making team-building retreats and strategic planning offsites a core part of your operating model— not as perks, not as rewards, and not as outings, but as essential tools for connection and innovation. As a core part of your business’s quarterly cadence.
    Offsites done well don’t just boost morale—they create psychological safety, strengthen organizational commitment, and spark creativity and innovation.
    How to design offsites that move the needle
    Too many offsites are cookie-cutter: Arrive at the hotel, eat at the on-premise restaurant, meet in the stuffy function room, and have a happy hour at the bar. This tired model is rinsed and repeated for three days. And then duplicated the next year.
    These “offsites” fail to recognize that the goal isn’t to entertain your team—it’s to empower them.
    Here are three design principles I recommend:
    1. Start with hospitality.
    A successful retreat creates a sense of belonging. To get to this state faster, participants need to feel welcomed in the environment they are a part of. They need to feel genuine warmth in the way they are treated.
    To do this, make sure that the gathering is in a destination that is relatively easy to get to and that the neighborhood it’s in is safe. As long as everyone has their own private room, the venue can be small so that some level of professional intimacy forms.
    2. Cut the alcohol.
    Alcohol is exclusionary (because some people don’t drink), dangerous (because some who drink act unprofessionally), distracting (because people move their focus elsewhere), and unproductive (because hungover people can’t perform).
    Instead of the usual happy hour where the hope is that participants will form bonds, consider nurturing conversations with thoughtful questions like If you could study any subject that you know nothing about, which would it be and why? Such questions go beyond helping people get to know one another; They open the door for deeper connection for folks who share the same interests.
    3. Design retreats thoughtfully.
    No single offsite is the same. Even if you have the same exact program, things like current events, weather, attendee moods, etc. can influence an offsite’s outcome. That’s why every gathering needs to be uniquely curated.
    To be intentional about a corporate retreat, after considering your goals, add the activities and experiences that will help you reach them. If a design sprint is on the agenda, take the team to an improv workshop to activate creativity. Similarly, if you’re doing annual planning, start the retreat with sound meditation to center everyone.
    In-person time doesn’t need to be constant, but it needs to count. A well-run retreat can accomplish what months of virtual syncs won’t. It gives teams a time and place to rally around a shared goal and makes them feel like they belong.
    Dan Berger is the founder of Assemble Hospitality and author of The Quest: The Definitive Guide to Finding Belonging.
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    The Silent Killer of Corporate Success: The Wrong People in the Wrong Seats

    If you want to decimate your bottom line, obliterate employee morale, and set your company on fire without even realizing it, there’s a surefire way to do it: put the wrong people in the wrong seats.
    It happens every day. A high-performing individual-contributor gets catapulted into management because of tenure, not talent. An executive holds onto their cushy title despite being woefully out of touch. A mid-level manager remains in place because they’re “nice” but lack the teeth to lead. And leadership turns a blind eye—because confrontation is uncomfortable, change is disruptive, and mediocrity is oddly comforting.
    And then? The rot begins.
    The Hidden Costs of Corporate Complacency
    Let’s get brutally honest. Most companies are hemorrhaging money, and they don’t even realize it. Not because of market downturns or inflation, but because they are carrying dead weight. HR inefficiencies and disconnects contribute to $8.9 trillion lost due to low employee engagement.
    The cost of misaligned talent isn’t just a staggering amount of money, it’s insidious, metastasizing beneath the surface like a slow-growing cancer. Here’s how it plays out:

    Talent Waste: Your A-players—the ones who should be shaping the future—spend their time cleaning up the messes of underqualified, misallocated colleagues. Instead of innovating, they’re babysitting. Instead of leading, they’re buffering incompetence. And guess what? They’re exhausted.
    Culture Erosion: The workplace turns toxic when the wrong people stay in the wrong roles. High performers disengage, lose faith in leadership, and either check out or check out permanently—taking their brilliance straight to your competitor.
    Death by Bureaucracy: Bad fits breed bureaucracy. When people lack the skills to execute, they compensate with meetings, emails, and endless rounds of indecision. Paralysis sets in. Your once-agile company starts moving at the speed of molasses, suffocated by its own inefficiency.
    Customer Experience Deterioration: Ever interacted with a company that felt like a slow-motion train wreck? Clueless managers, disengaged employees, frustrating customer service—it’s all symptomatic of people misaligned with their roles. Customers don’t tolerate incompetence. They leave. And they don’t come back.

    How Leadership is Failing (And Why They’re Too Afraid to Fix It)
    Let’s be real—executives love to talk about “talent optimization,” but when it comes to making the hard calls, they hesitate. Why?
    Because firing someone who’s “nice” but ineffective makes them uncomfortable. Because confronting a long-time employee about their declining performance is awkward. Because realigning talent forces them to admit they’ve made bad hires.
    So, they avoid it. They placate. They justify. They convince themselves that an employee who’s been failing for months just “needs more time” or that “loyalty” somehow compensates for incompetence. But in doing so, they betray their best talent, erode their culture, and bleed money from the organization.
    The Brutal (Yet Liberating) Truth: No One is Safe From Reassessment
    The solution is simple, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Every single person in your organization—including the C-Suite—needs to be evaluated against three non-negotiable criteria:

    Competency: Do they have the skills, knowledge, and experience to execute effectively? Do they have a deep understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives?
    Culture Fit: Do their values, beliefs, and behaviors align with the company’s mission, values, and long-term vision?
    Drive: Are they operating with hunger, ownership, and a relentless commitment to progress?

    If an employee fails even one of these tests, they don’t belong in that seat. It’s that simple. That means tough conversations. That means organizational discomfort. But here’s the truth—if someone isn’t delivering at an exceptional level, they are already stealing from you. They are taking money from the business, sapping energy from their team, and actively contributing to the dilution of your company’s competitive edge.
    The ROI of Ruthless Talent Realignment
    When you start making decisions based on alignment instead of sentimentality, your organization transforms. Here’s what happens when the right people sit in the right seats:

    Productivity Skyrockets: Teams move faster. Decisions are made with clarity. Execution becomes seamless. There’s no wasted motion—only momentum.
    Innovation Flourishes: When people are in roles where they can play to their strengths, they create. They solve problems. They push boundaries. The entire organization becomes an incubator for game-changing ideas.
    Culture Strengthens: Toxicity evaporates when every employee is surrounded by high-caliber colleagues. Work becomes energizing, not draining. Retention improves, and engagement soars.
    Profitability Explodes: Let’s talk numbers. Companies that optimize their talent allocation don’t just win in culture—they win on the balance sheet. Revenue climbs. Costs shrink. The bottom line reflects the hard truth: businesses thrive when the right people are in the right places.

    The Final Wake-Up Call: Are You Protecting the Future or Coddling the Past?
    If you’re leading an organization, ask yourself: Are you protecting your company’s future, or are you protecting the comfort of underperformers? If your answer isn’t immediate and obvious, you already have a problem.
    Here’s the thing—organizations aren’t failing because of external pressures. They’re failing because they tolerate mediocrity. They hold onto outdated hierarchies. They reward tenure over talent. And the most dangerous phrase in corporate America is, “That’s just how we do things here.”
    The companies that will dominate the future are the ones that embrace a new paradigm—one where every single seat is occupied by a person who is unequivocally, undeniably the best fit for the job.
    No exceptions. No excuses. No dead weight.
    You want to win? Start making the hard decisions. Now.
    Kelly Meerbott is an acclaimed TEDx and keynote speaker, author, podcast host, and award-winning certified leadership expert. With a unique trauma-informed approach and PTSD training, Kelly has transformed the leadership landscape for hundreds of C-suite and senior executives, and more than 400 high-ranking military officers. 
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    The Role of Leadership in Combatting Burnout Culture

    Leadership today demands more than meeting current quarterly goals—it requires shaping the future of the business and its people against the backdrop of an often challenging environment. Yet, there are striking gaps between the skills that leaders need and the development organisations are providing. According to DDI’s Europe Leadership Report 2025, leaders recognise the need for more future-focused skills but aren’t receiving training in these areas.
    According to the research, 80% of HR organisations in Europe are predicting a surge in the need for new leadership capabilities in the next five years. However, only 22% of HR organisations have prioritised addressing the top four most critical skill gaps that have been identified by the leaders themselves.
    These skills are pivotal in helping leaders navigate change, support innovation and sustain business growth – so what does this mean for leaders, and how can organisation address this challenge?
    Skills development for leaders is on the back-burner
    There is no shortage of news stories speculating on the future skills problems in Europe, especially as Generative AI continues to change the world of work across sectors. But despite the majority of HR leaders predicting a surge in the need for new leadership capabilities, less than one-quarter have prioritised addressing critical leadership skills, including:

    Setting strategy: 55% of leaders identify it as essential, yet only 13% have received training.
    Engaging employees: 55% see it as critical, but just 15% have been developed in this area.
    Identifying and developing future talent: 48% cite it as crucial, yet only 8% have had relevant development.
    Decision making: 51% of leaders believe it is crucial, but just 14% have received training.

    It’s not just the skills that leaders lack; less than one fifth of leaders feel they have sufficient time to fulfil their responsibilities at work. This highlights a critical failure in European organisations to effectively manage and protect leaders’ time and support development.
    Lack of time leads to burnout amongst Europe’s leaders
    A lack of adequate training and support for existing and new leaders could have an even more worrying effect on Europe’s leadership talent, as the Europe Leadership Report also highlights the increasing risk of stress and burnout among leaders in Europe. In fact, further data from the report shows that over half (54%) of Europe’s leaders are experiencing a significant increase in stress since stepping into their current roles. Of these leaders, 72% are concerned about burnout, and 40% have considered abandoning leadership roles entirely as a result.
    When leaders are stressed to the point of burnout, it creates a ripple effect throughout organisations that impacts not only current teams, but also the leadership pipeline, leaving organisations at risk of losing leadership talent precisely when it’s needed most. The solution lies in how organisations support their leaders.
    Organisations that invest in targeted skill development and give their leaders the time and tools to succeed are more likely to reduce burnout within their teams. Organisations that reduce burnout rates are more likely to create resilient leadership teams that drive sustainable business performance.
    Burnout culture continues to be the “dirty little secret” in far too many organisations. Everyone is feeling it, but no one wants to talk about it.
    How successfully companies manage burnout is directly influenced by their leaders. Why? Often, it’s the actions of leaders that cause employees to either move closer to burnout or reach full burnout status.
    Fortunately, leaders can establish a “new normal” for themselves and their teams and can break the cycle of burnout through leading by example. By actively promoting an environment that prioritises psychological safety and well-being, it normalises healthy collaboration, creativity, and a shared sense of purpose, where all employees feel recognised and valued.
    Supporting leaders to address burnout
    While leaders can manage burnout on their teams, they are still humans. Many of them are feeling the weight of burnout at the same time. Often, they don’t want to admit their own struggles for fear of being vulnerable. As a result, their teams also don’t want to admit their feelings, meaning issues are never resolved. Eventually, employees and leaders reach their limit and decide to leave, creating a burnout spiral.
    Leaders are navigating an increasingly complex professional landscape, and their approach to stress management reveals profound insights into their leadership philosophy. According to the Europe Leadership Report, leaders’ top stress management strategies are:

    Speaking with current manager (52%)
    Self-reflection (51%)

    This preference for manager consultation as the primary stress management strategy has powerful implications for preventing unwanted turnover. With over half of leaders turning to their managers for support, organisations have an early-warning system—but only if managers are equipped to respond effectively.
    For organisations, the actions are clear. By supporting leaders with personalised, insight driven development, they can not only reduce the risk of burnout within leadership teams, but throughout the organisation. By prioritising employee satisfaction and wellbeing, organisations don’t just retain top talent—they create loyal, engaged teams ready to grow and thrive together for the long haul.
    By Bruce Watt, Senior VP, Europe, India and Australia at DDI.
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    How Generative AI Can Transform Workplace Diversity

    The intersection of technology and workplace diversity has reached a pivotal moment with the release of a new report, “Leverage GAI to Diversify Talent” from talent services firm Seramount. This research sheds light on how generative AI (GAI) shows the potential to revolutionize recruiting and hiring practices for historically excluded talent.
    The report highlights GAI’s capabilities in reducing biases, broadening talent pools and ensuring fairer applicant screening processes—a trifecta that could redefine modern hiring practices.
    Unlock the Potential of GAI in Hiring
    Meredith McNeill, a senior director of research at Seramount, underscores the opportunity GAI presents. “Our interviews with chief diversity officers, DEI teams, chief human resource officers, and technology experts show that GAI holds enormous potential to help in-house experts promote DEI best practices and have more influence on hiring outcomes for historically excluded talent,” McNeill states.
    Through dozens of interviews and secondary research, McNeill identifies three key areas where GAI can significantly impact diversity efforts.
    Reduce Bias in Job Descriptions
    One persistent challenge in hiring is subtle bias in job descriptions. Often, DEI teams are tasked with the labor-intensive process of reviewing hundreds of job postings to identify and remove exclusionary language. GAI can automate this process, editing job descriptions at scale to eliminate biased or gendered language. This ensures that companies retain potential candidates from diverse backgrounds.
    By streamlining this task, GAI not only saves time but also ensures that job descriptions align with inclusive best practices. The proactive approach helps attract a broader range of candidates, setting the stage for more equitable hiring outcomes.
    Expand Candidate Sourcing
    Traditional candidate sourcing methods often fail to engage underrepresented groups effectively. GAI addresses this issue by generating personalized messages tailored to specific audiences. These messages can incorporate nuanced cultural tones and styles, making them more appealing to diverse candidates.
    Moreover, GAI’s ability to create multiple personalized messages at scale enhances its effectiveness in reaching and engaging individuals from various backgrounds. This innovative approach empowers companies to connect with a broader array of potential employees, fostering a more representative talent pipeline.
    Ensure Equitable Applicant Screening
    The screening process is another critical stage where biases can unintentionally influence outcomes. GAI’s use of skills-based assessments offers a solution. By standardizing questions, formats, and evaluation criteria, GAI ensures a consistent and fair experience for all applicants.
    Unlike traditional methods, which may rely on subjective judgments or cultural similarities between hiring managers and candidates, skills-based assessments objectively measure a candidate’s qualifications, reducing the likelihood of bias and helping level the playing field for historically excluded talent.
    The Business Case for Inclusion
    The push for more inclusive workplaces is not only a moral imperative but also a business advantage. Previous research from Seramount reveals that 78% of employees prioritize working in an environment that provides equal opportunities regardless of demographic characteristics. Companies that cultivate such inclusive cultures benefit from higher employee retention, improved productivity and greater engagement.
    “A diverse workforce is proven to improve business outcomes, and it is what most employees want, but it is difficult to make positive changes at scale,” McNeill explains. “GAI can enable companies to increase representation, leveling the playing field for all without placing the onus on time-crunched talent teams.”
    Look Ahead
    As companies navigate an increasingly dynamic business environment, tools like GAI will play an essential role in reshaping hiring practices. GAI provides a powerful mechanism to drive meaningful change in workforce diversity by addressing bias, enhancing outreach efforts and standardizing evaluations.
    Seramount helps foster inclusive workplaces through efforts to equip organizations with the tools and knowledge needed to embrace innovation while staying true to DEI principles. Generative AI represents a powerful tool for change, and its thoughtful implementation could signal a new era of equitable employment opportunities.
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    How to Avoid Job Scam Tactics on Social Media

    Job scams have become increasingly sophisticated, targeting unsuspecting job seekers with a variety of deceptive tactics. Cybercriminals exploit the vulnerability of individuals seeking employment, often using fraudulent job postings, phishing emails, and social engineering techniques to lure victims into sharing sensitive personal information.
    A new report from Heimdal reveals key insights into the growing threat of job scams. Based on an analysis of 2,670 social media posts and comments from victims in 2023 and 2024, the report highlights common scam tactics, targeted industries, and key red flags job seekers should be aware of.
    These findings provide important insights for job seekers, as well as businesses and platforms working to counter these scams.
    Key findings of the study

    Most targeted industries: The finance and IT sectors are the hardest hit, accounting for 35.45% and 30.43% of scam cases, respectively. The healthcare industry follows at 15.41%.
    Remote work risk: Remote positions are increasingly targeted, with 43% of scam posts mentioning remote jobs, followed closely by on-site (42%) and hybrid roles (15%).
    High-value roles: Managers and entry-level candidates are the primary targets, with 35% of scams focusing on managers and 34% on entry-level roles.
    Contact methods: Email is the top method scammers use, responsible for 30.75% of cases, followed by social media (20.19%) and websites (19.79%).
    Scam characteristics: The most common job scam tactics include suspicious contact information (41.1%), unrealistic salary offers (25.7%), and misleading job descriptions (10.6%).

    Red flags for job seekers:
    The study identified several red flags commonly associated with job scams, including:

    Upfront payment requests (25.08%)
    Phishing attempts (18.81%)
    Requests for confidential information (17.49%)
    No interview process (15.84%)
    Fake job offers (12.21%)
    Poorly written job descriptions (10.56%)

    Emotional impact on victims:
    In addition to financial losses, job scams are taking a significant toll on victims’ mental health:

    35.29% of victims reported experiencing distress,
    followed by 23.53% reporting anxiety,
    and 9.41% expressing anger.

    Preventive measures:
    The report highlights several strategies job seekers can use to avoid falling victim to scams, including:

    Checking company reviews (26.96%)
    Verifying company information (22.87%)
    Consulting trusted friends (19.46%)
    Verifying email domains and checking company websites for legitimacy.

    To protect themselves from job scams, job seekers should be vigilant and exercise caution when applying for jobs. It is important to verify the legitimacy of job offers, avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments, and never share personal information with unknown individuals or organizations. By staying informed and taking proactive measures, job seekers can minimize their risk of falling victim to these deceptive schemes.

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    Haunted by Ghost Jobs? 5 Tips for Job Seekers

    As the saying goes, everything old is new again, and “ghost jobs” are no exception. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the job market favor both employers and job seekers at different times. Since then, the pendulum has continued to swing in both directions as candidates ghost employers while employers post imaginary jobs that mislead candidates.
    There are a number of reasons why employers may choose to go this route. Among the most common are to build a pipeline of candidates to backfill future vacancies, to give the impression of company growth and stability, or to appease overworked employees. Still others may simply choose to post non-existent jobs rather than seeing pre-paid job postings go unused, or find that removing postings for jobs that were filled to be too time consuming.
    Unfortunately, the challenges employers face and their choices for dealing with them can negatively affect job seekers, particularly those who have applied for numerous jobs without receiving a single response. So what can candidates do to help recognize and avoid ghost jobs, while making the best possible impression on employers who may be hiring in the future? Here are a few suggestions.
    Filter by Date
    Though it’s impossible to distinguish real job opportunities from fake ones with 100% certainty, the longer a job has been posted, the more likely it’s not legitimate. If a job has been posted for several months, it’s a good indication that filling the role is not a priority, or the employer simply neglected to remove the post after hiring. Whenever possible, candidates should filter job search results by date and prioritize the most recent listings. This won’t eliminate all ghost jobs, but job searching is often a numbers game, and targeting the newest opportunities first can increase candidates’ odds of receiving a response.
    View Company’s Career Page and Social Media Profiles
    While employers may have an incentive to post ghost jobs, they likely won’t actively promote and recruit for them. Not only would this be a waste of their time, but it could severely damage their employer brand when disgruntled applicants leave negative comments and reviews regarding their (lack of a) hiring process. Job seekers should visit a company’s career page and social media pages in order to determine which roles they are promoting regularly and most anxious to fill.
    Contact Hiring Managers or Recruiters
    When visiting a company’s career page and social media pages, candidates should note whether a hiring manager’s or recruiter’s name and contact info are attached to job postings. If not, they may run a search on LinkedIn to find an employee who works in recruiting or their field of expertise. Candidates can then email these employees or connect with them on LinkedIn and inquire about open positions. Even if the employee is not a recruiter or hiring manager, they may still be willing to help a determined job seeker, particularly if their company has a referral program.
    Tap Your Network
    Networking is not something that can be done last minute when there’s an urgent need. It should be part of both employees’ and job seekers’ regular routines in order to build a trusted source of experts and allies. If candidates apply for a job they feel is a good fit but the employer remains unresponsive, a quick search of their network will reveal if they are connected to any of the company’s current or past employees. If not, posting an inquiry can generate leads that connections may provide. Of course, there’s no guarantee this will yield results. But considering that 30-50% of new hires come from referrals, it’s worth maximizing all resources.
    Demonstrate Your Expertise
    Regardless of how tenacious job seekers are in sourcing leads, applying for roles and contacting employers, none of this matters if they don’t have the skills and experience employers are looking for. Those qualifications should be evident during their job search. Candidates should ensure their LinkedIn profile is updated with work history, certifications, projects, publications and media samples. In addition, they should join groups and share news, blogs and articles with their network that are relevant to their industry or target role. When deciding which candidates to interview out of dozens or hundreds with similar qualifications, employers will likely pursue those whose expertise is evident and who share it on a regular basis.
    As we’ve seen over the past decade, ghost jobs aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, according to Forexlive, a recent surge in imaginary job postings may have contributed to the Federal Reserve’s overconfidence in the strength of the U.S. economy. Though many employers will continue to hedge their bets in an uncertain economy by posting jobs they’re not ready to fill, candidates who know what to look for and take a proactive approach to networking and self-promotion can avoid ghost jobs while increasing their chances of landing one of the real ones.
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