Women’s fight for equality dates back over a hundred years. While Sylvia Pankhurst might have rejoiced to know that women living with the menopause are the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace, her joy would be tempered by the slowness of that workplace to accept that equal rights aren’t the same thing as equal needs. 

Although many companies focus on employee wellbeing in general, when it comes to women’s health in the workplace, specific support is inconsistent at best. A few examples: In the UK, 48% of organizations have no official policy in place to support employees undergoing IVF – and 90% don’t provide any kind of menopause policy. And that’s for the obvious women-centric health conditions. Women also face unique mental health challenges, with research showing that women are almost twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders and young women are almost three times as likely to experience a common mental health issue as compared to males. Women are also at higher risk of serious diabetes complications and more likely to experience serious side effects from cancer treatments. 

Add to that the business impact of women’s health-related absences, which is clear. A 2019 study found that 14 million workdays were lost to the UK each year due to menopausal symptoms and nearly 60% of women have taken time off to tend to health issues. Yet a quarter of these women reported that they were uncomfortable disclosing to their employer why they needed time off. When it comes to fertility-related absence, more than half of women don’t disclose their IVF treatment to their employers, in part due to fear of losing their jobs or having their commitment questioned. 

While evolution in legislative and organisational policy may be glacial, there is an opportunity for workplaces to take the lead in demonstrating a commitment to their employees’ health needs. Many are: Channel 4 has launched reproductive health and hormone testing for its employees, Co-op offers paid time off for fertility treatments and Bristol Myers Squibb1 was named Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year in 2022 for its holistic approach to menopause-friendly initiatives. 

A catalyst for organizational change 

In the same way that the global COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to re-think or create their approach to hybrid working, a closer focus on women’s health requirements makes the need for a changed approach obvious. Policy can’t drive culture by itself, but it can change behavior. It’s one of the variables which influences whether an organization is doing the right thing when it comes to women’s health, but it isn’t a panacea. Even without a policy framework, creating a culture of openness can help ensure that women feel safe to discuss their needs and collaborate with their teams and leaders to prioritize their health outcomes while minimizing business impact. This all starts with the relationship between employees and managers. Case in point: Almost two thirds of women said discussing IVF with managers or employers made their experience easier to deal with.  

Making business more human is the cornerstone to achieving empathetic dialogue on sensitive subjects. Empathetic leadership is linked to higher performance and there is a raft of research and training courses available to encourage this behaviour. But when it comes to women’s health, more specific coaching and guidance may be needed. In issues that touch an employee’s most personal concerns, managers may fear saying the wrong thing and choose to say nothing at all.  

As business leaders, try implementing these simple steps to begin cultivating a culture of open conversation and trust: 

With the continued increase in organisational focus on wellbeing, the time is right for a specific focus on women’s health. Maybe Sylvia Pankhurst would approve of the progress being made after all.  

United Minds, part of The Weber Shandwick Collective, is a consultancy dedicated to making business more human. We help organizations navigate the people side of change including restructures, mergers, acquisitions and other significant transformations.  

We are proud to be a lead member of The Weber Shandwick Collective: Women’s Health and to launch The Women’s Health Indicator. Developed by data analysts and behaviour experts, this proprietary product informs and identifies specific gaps in women’s health by analysing and assessing thousands of data points measured across society, media and policy. 

Our team’s blend of psychology expertise, change management experience, strategic thinking and creative communications capability, means we can help organizations navigate complexity, position the change and avoid the pitfalls.

To maintain reputation in a volatile market, you’ve got to neutralize the potential saboteur. New data reveals who that’s likeliest to be—and how to go about it.

Restructuring and layoffs are an unfortunate reality for organisations right now as global economic conditions remain uncertain.  The recent waves of layoffs we have seen in leading tech companies have provided powerful cases where leaders have acted with empathy and transparency. 

But there are also cases where leaders have acted too impulsively, eroding trust with both the employees leaving and staying, resulting in damaged reputation and performance.  Nobody wins from approaches like these, so what can other leaders learn from it? 

Companies need to properly think through and plan the people side of their transformation efforts. This needs to be done upfront and with careful consideration, not as an afterthought. The change must then be done in a way that is truly human, empathetic and supportive. “Firm but fair” is a phrase for a reason; you can still make hard calls in the right way. 

We’ve helped numerous organisations during times like this and the same advice stands true in almost every case. Whether it’s a restructure, down-sizing, divestment, separation, merger or acquisition, there is a simple principle to keep front of mind:  

It’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it that matters.

Based on experience, there are three questions we’re asked in almost every single programme we’ve run. 

How and when should we engage and communicate with people?  

How do we manage risks? 

 How do we remain adaptable?  

Want to talk through your upcoming change or further understand best practices? Send us a note ([email protected]). We’re happy to chat.  

United Minds is a consultancy dedicated to making business more human. We help organisations navigate the people side of change including restructures, mergers, acquisitions and other significant transformations. 

With our team’s blend of psychology expertise, change management experience, strategic thinking, and creative communications capability, we can help organisations navigate complexity, position the change, and avoid the pitfalls. 

The last two years have tested leaders in ways previously unthought of. In fact, it could be argued that the job description for C-Suite Leaders has been rewritten entirely; focusing on running a successful business today means being able to understand – and engage with – an ever-growing list of stakeholders on issues related not only to operations but broader impact. And employees have solidified their position at the top of this list. 

To understand how leaders are navigating these new expectations, we partnered with KRC Research to survey over 100 executives. And to hold them accountable, KRC Research also polled 500 employees on a variety of topics, including their perceptions of leader performance. 

What the executives are saying 

We found that – despite growing economic and societal pressures – leaders maintain a balanced outlook. While 57% say the current national economy is weak, 75% say their company is growing (and 21% say it’s staying the same). 

More than three quarters of leaders (76%) see workforce development, reducing employee turnover and talent retention as a key buffer against recession – significantly more than any other area. 

So it’s not surprising that three of the top-four areas of focus that these leaders are building into 2023 business planning are centered around employees, from attracting and retaining them (74%), to getting them to adopt new technologies (57%), to engaging and empowering them (41%).  

BUT leaders are clear-eyed on their limitations. Only 13-24% of leaders believe that they are performing very well in these areas. And they are right to be worried.  

How this compares to employee perceptions 

Employees also have a balanced outlook on their companies’ ability to weather the current environment. Though slightly less bullish, more employees are optimistic (31%) than pessimistic (16%) about the future success of their organization. This is reversed when it comes to the over-all economy, where more are pessimistic (38%) than optimistic (26%).   

As far as employees’ personal experience at work, there are several red flags that leaders should be watching out for. About half worry about their mental health and wellness (55%) and turnover within their organization (50%). More than a third fear more layoffs (39%) including impact to their own jobs (36%).   

Even so, a vast majority (75%) say that they that their employer is taking the right steps to preserve jobs in an economic downturn and that they feel loyal to their employer (74%). But that isn’t stopping them from looking. Nearly 60% plan to change jobs over the next few years, including nearly one in five (19%) in the next year.   

Keys to employee retention/attraction  

One area where leaders and employees are aligned is the increasing importance of advancing not only business but society. Nearly six in 10 (59%) leaders report that their employees expect them to take a stand on societal issues, and that this is a critical piece of their ability to attract and retain them. Nearly six in 10 employees (59%) say that companies have a responsibility to speak up.  

But that doesn’t tell the full story. When drilling down further, a bigger majority of employees identify as important a wide range of specific issues. For example, about eight in 10 believe their employers should give back to local communities (82%) and make company decisions that are sustainable and protect the environment and climate (78%). Three in four think companies should advance racial equality and address systemic racism (74%). Far less – six in 10 – think their employer is doing a good job addressing these issues.  

It’s no surprise. Just one in eight leaders (14%) feels very equipped to address social issues.  

Both employees and leaders also recognize the importance of company culture. But while 90% of leaders feel equipped to ensure employee wellbeing, only 59% of employees feel like mental health and wellness is being prioritized within their organization. Similarly, while 86% of leaders are confident in their ability to conduct the company ethically and transparently, far fewer employees (67%) give leaders positive marks on this same topic; only two thirds (67%) also think leaders are doing a good job communicating company values and having zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment.  

A call to action 

It’s encouraging to see that leaders have become more self-aware of their shortcomings related to expanded expectations of their role. But it’s not enough to diagnose the problem – leaders now have to solve it. Offering guidance to leaders on where to focus their efforts are employees, who are becoming more vocal about their needs (and also creating more reputational risk when they don’t feel heard).  

Here’s where leaders should be focusing:  

In order to keep employees engaged, aligned, motivated and – most importantly – within the organization, leaders need to continue to support not only them, but their communities. And not only around issues related to the business, but in advancing culture and achieving impact on the issues they care about. With leaders’ ability to emerge stronger amid economic uncertainty hinging on their ability to do so, advancing culture and addressing societal issues should be at the top of every leader’s agenda in 2023. 

Stakeholder expectations have never been higher. The best way to get out in front of them? Lead from behind.

Successfully navigating roiling markets, broken supply chains, and chronic labor shortages to earn shareholders a profit isn’t enough. As a new wave of pulse data affirms,1 stakeholders today expect more from business leaders. Much more.

Customers demand that companies not only provide quality products and services, but also take a stand on societal issues—even help bridge societal divisions. Employees expect employers to commit to pay equity and a living wage for all, and also to compensate them for rising inflation and help them achieve a healthy work-life balance. Americans expect industry leaders to conduct business in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner—while – protecting democracy and promoting prosperity and stability in the world. 

In short: a mighty tall order. What kind of leader can possibly fulfill it? The servant kind.

A guide for leaders on embracing and encouraging the viral trend

By now you’ll have seen the Quiet Quitting trend, originally starting on TikTok and now firmly in the mainstream media. Whilst it’s been extensively debated (including vast misinterpretation), if we look closer at the real meaning of ‘quiet quitting’– employees setting boundaries and reverting back to their agreed hours – it’s essentially a continuation of a long-standing trend. Pandemic burnout, work-life balance, the Corporate Villain Era – employees want their lives back. And with workers putting in 25% more hours since the pandemic and 49% reporting they’re burnt out, can we blame them?

But with a recession looming, there is a risk that Quiet Quitting will lead to the organisational version of fight or flight. Leaders will either ignore it completely and it’ll organically permeate the culture, or they’ll try and fight it – leading to introductions of harsher productivity measures and/or stricter remote working rules. With numerous reports proving that working harder and longer can have the opposite of its intended effects; we strongly caution these knee-jerk reactions.

Of course, workers who are effectively downing tools need to be re-engaged. But for those that are seeking boundaries, our motto is “If you can’t beat them, join them.” As experts in business psychology, change management and employee engagement, our recommendation for organisations – particularly those with high volumes of Gen Z employees – is to embrace, and even encourage, the trend.

Embracing employees working fewer hours; are you mad?

We hear you; business performance is a top priority, particularly as tougher economic times are upon us. In case you or your leadership team need convincing, here’s a handy list of the benefits of embracing quiet quitting:

I see your point; what can I do about it?

For CEOs, HR, culture and employee engagement leads there are some tangible steps you can take to demonstrate you’re embracing this trend:

  1. Call it out – be bold, address it head on. Run an internal communications campaign showing you’ve acknowledged the trend and hear people. Follow up with open and honest dialogue with employees on their reflections on the trend.
  2. Understand who is who: Through the above, make sure you distinguish those not pulling their weight from those seeking balance and treat them differently. Before going down a path of counting hours, have open conversations and give encouraging feedback, which will prevent a culture of fear emerging.
  3.  Harness purpose – there is a clear link between discretionary effort and purpose, if people are on the fence of quiet quitting, purpose is how to re-engage them. Evidence shows motivation to contribute is driven by purpose and appreciation, at least as much as flexibility and getting a fair deal.
  4.  Revisit your Employee Value Proposition – as well as emphasising purpose, focus on the way the company allows for work-life balance and embraces people having lives outside of work
  5. Trial it – Explore what you can do to tangibly show you’re on board with this trend, even if it is just an experiment or pilot initially e.g. everyone will be locked out of their computers after a certain time, or a policy offering time off for innovation and creativity.
  6. Make a long-term change to your culture – this trend is here to stay and for too long organisations have been putting a band-aid on the issue with tactical initiatives and wellbeing solutions (the 2019 yoga classes eye-rolls are still doing the rounds on LinkedIn – see below). For some organisations it’ll require a holistic culture change and leadership behaviour change from a counting-hours, presenteeism and ‘input mindset’ to an ‘outcomes’ culture.

We hope this has given you pause for thought or a business case for your leaders if you’re concerned about their reactions to the Quiet Quitting trend. If you’d like any more advice, research or practical tips; please contact: [email protected]. 

As I was finishing a Zoom call recently, a couple coworkers asked me if I had time to reconnect later in the day. “My schedule is CRAZY today, guys. I’m so sorry,” I said, before disconnecting. As soon as I’d gotten off the call, I realized my matter-of-fact response — to which I didn’t give much thought in the moment — could have been unintentionally insensitive. For starters, neither of my coworkers were male. Also, I personally dislike using “crazy” as an adjective when any other word would better connote my intention without possibly offending anyone who may have been referred to as “crazy” at some point, in a negative light. (As I remind myself, “crazy” rhymes with “lazy” — as in, push myself to think of a better adjective.)

The truth is — language is powerful, especially in the workplace. The right turn of phrase or messaging can win over a stakeholder, engage an employee base, sell a product. But many of us don’t realize that the words and phrases we use daily often carry additional meaning hidden between the lines. Certain words can imply a bias toward a particular age, gender, ability, educational background, social class and so on. As a result, continued use of this type of language can inadvertently exclude and offend audiences, including clients and employees.

Common workplace phrases to avoid

By using inclusive language in both written and verbal communications, we can ensure messaging resonates with all audiences. Inclusive language avoids biases, slang or expressions that discriminate against groups of people.

The challenging part is distancing oneself from phrases and words that have become common, but that are rooted in racism, colonialism and patriarchy.

Here are a few examples:

Terms like “pow wow,” to indicate a meeting, or “low on the totem pole,” to indicate low priority, or “master document,” or “grandfathered in,” should be terms we phase out of our language, especially in the workplace. Pow wow, totem pole, tribe and spirit animal are terms that have been appropriated from Indigenous people. Whereas master immediately connotes slavery — and grandfather (when meaning legacy) is unnecessarily gendered.

Instead of relying on these familiar yet harmful terms, be clearer with your message. Swap tribe for community, team or group. A master document becomes a principal document (be careful not to label it a “bible,” either). Not only will your messaging be clearer, it will also be mindful.

Actionable guidelines to employ — starting today

Establishing an inclusive language guide for the workplace — a living, co-created document that includes phrases to avoid and their suggested, acceptable counterparts — is one way to move an organization toward being more inclusive. Organizations can introduce it as a ways-of-working agreement and ask that employees acknowledge or sign it as part of compliance efforts to ensure employees understand the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

But the broader point is that each of us has that power: Each of us can decide to adopt more inclusive language, right now — and make an immediate impact within our teams, across our organizations and communities at large. Whether you go the policy route or the personal one, here are five simple guidelines to keep in mind:

Will everyone always get it right? No. Language changes and evolves over time. And certain resistance comes into play when training the mind to steer away from common but hurtful words and terms. The most important — most mindful — thing to remember is to consider the impact of your language and to be willing to learn and adapt.

Adjusting how we communicate in our everyday goes a long way toward shifting mindsets and creating a more inclusive workplace — and hopefully, society.

Additional reading:

Google, All-in inclusive marketing terms: https://all-in.withgoogle.com/

National Center on Disability and Journalism: https://ncdj.org/style-guide/#:~:text=NCDJ%20Recommendation%3A%20%E2%80%9CDeaf%E2%80%9D%20or,use%20those%20terms%20for%20themselves.

American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines

The Diversity Style Guide for Media Professionals: https://www.diversitystyleguide.com/

Linguistic Society of America: https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/guidelines-inclusive-language

With the launch of Pride at the Intersections, a three-part series, Rachel Zakariasen takes Q+ organization-wide.

Over the course of her career, Rachel Zakariasen has seen — and overseen — a lot of change. She’s architected culture transformation at WebMD and Nike. Presided over pharma and biotech transitions as an Accenture consultant. Led change communications during Medtronic’s $3B global transformation. And today, as senior vice president at United Minds, part of The Weber Shandwick Collective (TWSC), she’s equipping clients with the communications and engagement strategies crucial to navigating tectonic global shifts.

But it’s at the helm of Q+, TWSC’s business resource group (BRG) for LGBTQ+ employees, that Rachel foresees having soul-satisfying impact. As Q+ programs launch throughout Pride Month, we sat down with her to get a glimpse of her vision.

You’ve belonged to Pride Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) throughout your career. How is Q+ different?

In addition to BRGs offered by our parent company, The Weber Shandwick Collective launched several new BRGs in the past two years with the premise that marginalized and underrepresented employees need safe spaces that center their experiences. The first one to launch, NOIR, came on the heels of George Floyd’s murder and offered Black employees a space to process and connect.

Similarly, with over 300 anti-LGBTQ+ laws being proposed across the country right now, LGBTQ+ people need safe places to gather and connect. The fact that the agency recognizes this as the foundational purpose for a BRG is something I haven’t seen before, as a lot of Pride groups’ focus is on educating and engaging people outside of our community. In addition to that core purpose, Q+’s remit also includes having an impact on the business, which we are actively doing by weighing in on business pitches, supporting client work centered on the LGBTQ+ community and helping to build a brand that is known for being an advocate for and ally to LGBTQ+ people.

But what really stands out about TWSC’s approach is the financial support. This includes a healthy budget to support our activities, making financial commitments to LGBTQ+ partners and providing BRG leaders with a stipend to compensate them for the extra work they do. Even though our BRGs are relatively new, we operate at a maturity level that surpasses many organizations I have worked for in the past.

What’s your vision for Q+?

In one word, it’s intersectional. The LGBTQ+ community brings the widest range of overlapping and intersecting identities to the table — starting with the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity. We identify as LGBTQ+, but we are also BIPOC, immigrants, members of faith communities, veterans, parents, people who are neurodivergent, and so much more. That intersectionality is still not well reflected in how the media represents members of our community. We want to change that. The future of Q+, like the future of DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), is all about how our intersecting identities creates different experiences related to both oppression and privilege.

What changes do you want Q+ to drive for Weber Shandwick?

Inside and outside the organization, I want us to educate people on the ways that others experience the world. As a cisgendered woman who is femme presenting, I have privilege that my masculine-of-center partner doesn’t have. I can safely walk into a “women’s” restroom and not worry that my presence will be questioned or unwelcome. She does not have this guarantee. And we both have much more privilege and safety than a transgender woman of color in our society. It’s important that people understand this, that they connect with others whose lived experience is unlike their own and come to feel empathy. Providing opportunities for that to happen is what I see as our priority.

How does your Q+ role inform the counsel you give your clients?

It depends on the culture of the organization and where they are on their DE&I journey. For those considering launching ERGs, I tell them don’t do it unless you’re willing to adequately fund them. It’s been a radically different experience for me to have budget, to not be working with just sticks and glue. For others, I might stress the need for safe spaces where people can talk about issues related to their experience or identity in and outside of work. Because if they can’t, and if they don’t feel safe, it undermines their sense of belonging and well-being — which in turn impacts the business. An organization that doesn’t foster inclusion for everyone is not going to win the talent war.

What advice would you give resource group leaders across organizations?

First, get the buy-in of executive leaders. If they’re not engaged, your ability to drive any change will be limited — both in and outside of the organization. To secure and retain their involvement, make the business case for yourselves as a resource group. Remind them that as a built-in focus group, you can advise on workforce education and training, consult on client presentations and projects, evaluate new product offerings and help grow the client base. That should get you the budget you need to pay speakers, create quality programs, invest in professional development and deepen members’ contribution to the mission.

What do you most wish your straight colleagues understood?

An important thing we talk about, when we talk about the LGBTQ+ experience at work, is that you don’t just come out once — you have to come out over and over again. If you don’t feel safe enough to take that risk, you’ll just let people assume what they will, until you’re closeted all over again. This is why I urge everyone –not just my straight colleagues — to not make any assumptions about others’ identity. About their gender, their orientation, their race, their anything. Ask open questions. And if you assume too much? If you make a mistake and the other person calls you on it? Understand that you feeling bad is not the other person’s responsibility. That defensive feeling is a signal to pay attention. It’s a reminder that there is something here for you to learn.

How might companies best support LGBTQ+ employees during Pride month — and every day?

Go public with your support: Sign on to initiatives and coalitions that are advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people. Educate your managers and clearly outline what behaviors are expected of them. Create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people (and ALL marginalized and underrepresented groups) to share their experiences. Make sure your benefits, policies and practices do not unintentionally harm your LGBTQ+ employees. Regularly pulse your LGBTQ+ employees — with focus groups, not just surveys — to learn how you are doing in supporting them. And act on what you learn.

What is your perception of United Minds’ culture?

Even before United Minds coined its mission phrase — “Making business more human” — every person I spoke to during my interviewing process made this business feel more human to me. I was very out, very relaxed in those interviews. Not that I thought being a lesbian would hinder my career prospects at the company, but I’d been in plenty of rooms where, if I said something about my wife, there would be this uncomfortable pause during which I could hear everyone thinking to themselves, “Ok, don’t be weird about this.” At United Minds, literally no one batted an eye. I felt people saw me and valued all of me: My knowledge. My experience. My approach to leading, which is done with empathy. My passion for equity. And my commitment to justice. I felt, These are my people.

Mental health. Wellbeing. Inclusion. Belonging.

These aren’t just buzzwords you’ve heard constantly over the past two years; they’re real issues that every leader should be prioritizing, learning about, and acting upon. They also have something else in common: they affect an individual’s degree of feeling psychologically safe.

You might be thinking, “what exactly is psychological safety?”

Psychological safety, as defined by Timothy R. Clark, author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, is “an environment of rewarded vulnerability in which human beings feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo- all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.”

Recent independent studies by United Minds, McKinsey and Accenture tell the same story: psychological safety is foundational to successful organizations today. For example, in United Minds’ research, we discovered that at least six of the top-10 factors people associate with getting a “fair deal” from their employer in a work environment that remains volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous have to do with feelings of psychological safety. These are highlighted below:

1. Job security

2. Positive work environment

3. Trustworthy peers

4. Competitive salary and benefits

5. Resources to be successful

6. Un-biased ability to succeed

7. Support for wellbeing

8. Fair treatment

9. Motivational, supportive leaders

10. Work/life balance

Furthermore, these studies also point to the fact that creating a psychologically safe environment starts with leaders role modeling the behaviors they want to see.

But is it just about displaying these behaviors, or do leaders need to feel them, too?

In short, no and yes. Amy Edmondson, universally recognized as the subject matter expert on psychological safety (having coined the phrase in the 90s) and Richard Boyatzis, a pioneer in the field of emotionally intelligent leadership, urge executives to become aware of and address their own needs, first so that they can focus on leading empathetically in an increasingly stressful landscape. Boyatzis noted that “we can’t be positively infectious with others…unless we’re feeling inspired and sustained ourselves first,” to which Edmondson adds, “As a leader, if you’re not role-modeling sustainable behaviors- taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, taking necessary breaks- then you make it very hard for others to do the same.”

It’s important to note that authenticity is crucial here; merely saying the ‘right’ things in front of your employees is not enough. Recognizing that vulnerability and empathy are not natural for all leaders to exhibit in the work environment, this is an area where some leaders may need to train themselves to not only demonstrate these behaviors, but to embody them.

So…what? Should you start taking mental health days, shutting down at a decent hour, and have more vulnerable, human, conversations at work?

Honestly? Yes! That is, if you want your business to be successful, anyway.

Many of the studies previously cited show that psychological safety is not just good for business, it’s essential. Organizations with high psychological safety experience a significant reduction in turnover, increase in engagement, productivity and innovation, as well as higher skills preparedness and probability that workers will apply their newly learned skills on the job.

These changes don’t take place overnight, and they are near-impossible to do with leaders who feel burnt out, overworked, and undervalued. A high-performing culture starts in a psychologically safe environment. A psychologically safe environment begins with leaders who are genuinely supportive, motivating, and transparent. And to be a leader who supports the mental health and professional growth of others, you must begin in a mentally and physically healthy space, yourself.

How can you tell if you feel psychologically safe at work?

From our broader United Minds benchmark of employee experience in today’s work environment, six key questions can be isolated to assess the psychological safety of an organization. Before turning the lens on your team, you can use these questions to assess yourself. Go through the questions below one at a time and consider how much you agree or disagree with each regarding how you feel about your organization; not just the team you lead, but the team of leaders you are peer to as well as in the organization at large. If you can answer the majority of these questions positively, then you feel a strong sense of psychological safety in your organization.

1. I feel safe to take appropriate risks to succeed.

2. My colleagues help me when I need it.

3. The people I work with are trustworthy.

4. All employees’ opinions are valued.

5. I feel accepted for who I am.

6. I am able to participate and express my point of view.

Again, psychological safety is a foundational requirement for the success of any organization, and it starts with leaders. Those leaders cannot create a psychologically safe environment if they don’t feel safe, themselves. If you identify that you do not feel such in your organization, it’s time to examine why that is, and take the steps necessary to get there; once there, assess the psychological safety of your organization, identify what areas you can affect as a leader, and start establishing more psychological safety for your team.

The talent market is hot, and the June 1st US Labor Market report confirms that we still have over 11 million open jobs. This means that employees remain empowered to request more from current and prospective employers. But as with other markets — what goes up, often comes down. With the possibility that economic growth will slow or decline squarely on the horizon, companies are engaged in scenario planning for a period of slower growth. Part of this planning should include a strategy for a talent bear market.

While this article will not focus on theoretically defining a bear market for talent, we know the indicators: a pattern of reduction in open jobs, higher unemployment and — for hiring managers — an easier time finding and negotiating with top candidates.

Warren Buffett famously stated that at Berkshire Hathaway, “we simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.” A faltering talent market presents an opportunity for companies to be greedy by investing ahead of the next bull market so they are positioned to win the next war on talent.

To help ensure your company is primed to go, here are three ways to prep for (and execute against) a bear market talent strategy.

1. Invest in value

With an overheated talent market, employers are harder pressed to be strategic. The level of urgency in bringing aboard new talent provides less time to do due diligence, leading to buyer’s remorse when a “hot prospect” turns out not to have the promised skills an employer is expecting. And as it relates to retaining talent, a focus on rapidly deploying new benefits and rewards can feel like whack-a-mole — with decisions taken quickly in order to react to competitor moves and countermoves. Sometimes these decisions add tremendous value, but often they miss the fact that compensation and benefits are only one piece of a broader mosaic of an employee’s desired experience at work.

Strategy is about making choices, and two rise to the top:

  1. Identify the employee segments that are most critical to sustaining competitive advantage and driving growth on the other side of an economic downturn. While corporate and management talent is a typical area of focus in hot talent markets, this is a time for other parts of the company to shine. For companies with complex supply chains, that means shoring up those end-to-end capabilities with top talent. For companies that work closely with customers or consumers, the front-line team should be supported and bolstered during the downturn. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that junior teams are filled with the best and brightest.
  2. Identify big, differentiated bets that create long-term value for employees. In other words, stop chasing competitors and think about ways to create an enduringly valuable employee experience in your own organizations. This is a much harder proposition because it means thinking through how to motivate and appreciate employees, offering work that involves creative problem-solving and creating a culture where individuals are able to grow and contribute. Take it one step at a time, with the first step of inaugurating a cross-functional team across the business and with HR to gather a more holistic view of the strength of the employee experience. This can be done through rich qualitative and quantitative data collection, followed by identifying employee pain points and potential solutions.

By targeting the talent that is most valuable for your business in the long-term and shoring up their experience, growth will be so much easier to execute on in the future.

2. Prioritize diversity

Diversity breeds innovation and success — and many companies have fallen behind in today’s labor market. But companies that haven’t yet implemented a robust diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy have an opportunity to do so in a bear market. It means investing in the structural elements that support both hiring and retention of diverse employees.

Start by asking:

Focusing on DE&I is not only a long term play — it can produce immediate results. From advancing overall employee satisfaction and retaining the top talent leaders can’t afford to lose.

3. Take risks

It may seem counter-intuitive to add risk in a bear market, but some risks are easier and more fruitful when companies are able to catch their breath. For one, it’s the perfect time to pilot new ways of approaching the employee experience and culture.

Here are a few examples:

One way to get started is to set up a Culture & Experience Innovation task force. Empower this team with a senior sponsor committed to action and set up a team charter focused on developing and executing on pilots. And don’t just set objectives for number of wins — tack on a “failure objective” to make sure that people are pushing the envelope and learning along the way.

Some leaders fear bear markets, but they offer unique opportunities to invest in what’s truly valuable. To take calculated risks and lay the groundwork for long-term success. Now is the time to take those lessons learned from successful investors and business leaders and apply them to your most valuable asset: your people.