Dive Brief:
- Employees are “plagued” with self-doubt and anxiety, according to survey results released Sept. 7 by isolved — but employers can help by providing learning programs and more opportunities for manager check-ins, survey takers said.
- Half of respondents admitted to experiencing the “Sunday Scaries” while another 40% said they have imposter syndrome regarding their work. But learning opportunities keep employees engaged, as do team meetings, isolved said.
- "Unchecked, Imposter Syndrome and work-induced anxiety can lead to greater employee disengagement, productivity and profit loss and turnover," Amy Mosher, chief people officer at isolved, said in a statement. "Inner conflict — does my employer care about me, am I making the right career decisions, can I balance life and work — is a top reason for workforce-changing trends like quiet quitting.”
Dive Insight:
The poor state of worker mental health has been widely documented — but learning programs may be an underestimated way to engage workers who are struggling.
For one thing, workers can often directly access mental health learning programs through a company’s L&D platform, Vu Tran, the co-founder of Go1, an eLearning platform, previously wrote for HR Dive. But L&D can also offer resources on managing stress and generally help bolster connection between workers through interactive training, Tran said, further improving the company cohesion that keeps workers engaged.
Employers can also center mental health in manager training. Teaching managers how to look out for struggling workers and how to assist them can go a long way in keeping employees healthy and engaged, experts previously told HR Dive. For example, managers can be taught to ask key questions — including “How can I support you?” — when employees appear to be struggling.
While managers are often taught how to perform their duties for their role in the company at large, relationship management may often not be taught, despite its role in managing a team, one expert said. Managers are increasingly expected to be coaches to their direct reports, as well — a skill set that may also require some training.
