Mentoring Helps Workplace Mental Health and Employee Wellbeing

Humans are hardwired for social interaction, and when they don't get enough of it, they suffer. According to studies, people have been compelled to keep human interaction to a minimum for the past year and a half, resulting in mental health problems such as poor life satisfaction, job-related stress, and increased level of substance misuse.

When people come through the door at work or sit in their home office, they still crave interaction, and mental health issues cost a lot in terms of human cost and missed productivity. Based on World Health Organisation data, anxiety and depression issues cost the global economy more than $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. Supporting the wellbeing of employees is simply smart management.

Experts say mentoring is an excellent method to boost mental health at work. Mentorship may be a powerful tool for cultivating human connection that leads to employee happiness. This is especially true today, considering the isolation and added stress that remote and hybrid work situations present.

It's time to consider how mentorship might benefit employees' mental and emotional wellbeing. These pointers can help you provide effective mentoring:

Encourage engagement

Mentoring allows people to connect and communicate on a deeper level, typically between persons who would not normally interact. This type of workplace connection reduces feelings of isolation, fosters friendships, and boosts employee engagement. 

Studies suggest that having a friend at work or numerous personal friendships is a critical factor in job engagement. People who are engaged at work feel better about their jobs, care more about their coworkers and provide better customer experiences, all of which contribute to a positive overall outlook.

Establish relationships based on trust

Mentoring creates a psychologically safe environment through forming trusting relationships between mentors and mentees. This allows for an open and honest conversation on sensitive or challenging topics that may be creating emotional stress. 

Mentors can offer support and advice to mentees dealing with personal or work-related challenges in this atmosphere. While mentors cannot replace professional therapists for major mental health difficulties, employees who can talk about issues and brainstorm solutions might experience a significant increase in happiness.

Increase inclusion in the workplace

Employee dissatisfaction is primarily caused by feelings of exclusion or unjust treatment. According to the 2017 Tech Leavers Study, personal experiences of exclusion, unfairness, or abuse played a substantial part in employees' decisions to quit.

Mentorship can help people feel more included, mainly when it's focused on boosting diversity and belonging. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mentoring programmes foster a climate of acceptance and empathic support, allowing employees to present their whole self to work, whether in person or digitally. Workers are encouraged to speak up against bias or microaggression in this environment because they will feel heard and supported.

Help employees achieve their goals

One of the key purposes of mentoring is to assist mentees in achieving their long-term goals. This emphasis on attaining the future through tangible, step-by-step milestones could be the cure to anxiety, doubt, or fear, especially with the chance to receive guidance when hurdles appear.

However, this benefit isn't limited to mentees. A study focusing on police officers in England reveals that officers who served as mentors said their occupations are more relevant and reported lower anxiety levels than officers who did not function as mentors.

It is undeniable that meaningful interpersonal interaction in the workplace significantly impacts how people feel about themselves and their jobs. Mentorship facilitates just this type of relationship. Individuals and organisations both reap the benefits when companies build successful mentorship programmes.

Source: Association for Talent Development