‘Mental Wellbeing’ has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, with companies looking to find ways of embracing better mental health standards for their employees. One person who understands the importance of mental health better than most is Ryan Armitage, Director of the healthcare recruitment firm, Tezlom.
Recruitment and sales aren’t industries which are typically known for looking after their staff members. They have a reputation for being driven and performance-focussed, with all of the attention given to achieving targets by whatever means necessary. While this might be true for some companies, Ryan has focused on creating a relaxed and positive environment for those under the umbrella of his company. Since losing his brother to suicide in 2018, Ryan has been passionately and proactively doing whatever he can to provide mental health support for his team.
It’s this passion which has led to a unique collaboration.
Whysup is a company which is dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and addiction. They do this by working with schools, businesses and sports teams to provide information and support to those who need it most. Since their launch in 2017, Liam and Mark have used their own experience of addiction and recovery to educate more than 40,000 people. It is this first-hand knowledge and expertise which made them the perfect choice for Ryan and his team at Tezlom.
Since collaborating together, Whysup has provided monthly on-site sessions with the team at Tezlom’s head office. The sessions focus on providing peer-to-peer support as well as offering information and advice. The team also worked to brainstorm topics which were particularly relevant to themselves before planning sessions on subjects such as anxiety and stress. All of this has helped to create an environment where staff feel able to discuss their issues openly.
Positive results were seen almost immediately. Initial feedback from staff members regarding the collaboration indicated that employees were feeling happier and less stressed at work.
As well as ensuring that the team at head office has mental health and wellbeing support, Ryan has taken it one step further. Every single person in Tezlom’s eleven franchises, as well as head office employees, also has membership to Wellbeing With Whysup. This is a monthly online wellbeing service which offers videos and resources to users whenever they are needed.
All of this has meant that employees and franchise members are supported with whatever mental health and wellbeing assistance that they need. Each person knows that their wellbeing as an individual is valued and prioritised.
Having seen the results of such a unique partnership, it is clear that it works. This is a model for employee care that other companies can, and should, learn from.
