Ariana Huffington at #SHRM22: Shifting Mental Health Awareness into Action in the Workplace

According to a 2021 report from Indeed, over half (52%) of survey respondents reported that they experienced burnout in 2021 — up from the 43% who said the same in Indeed’s pre-Covid-19 survey. The report says that those who work virtually are more likely to say burnout has worsened over the course of the pandemic (38%) than are those working on site (28%). Similarly, on-site workers are more likely than their virtual counterparts to say COVID-19 hasn’t affected burnout (25% and 13%, respectively). 

In addition to experiencing burnout, HR and recruiting professionals are also working in an environment where they are likely short-staffed (company-wide and within HR) and are putting in a lot more time to compensate for not being fully staffed. Human resources job postings are up 52.5% from their pre-pandemic baseline. That’s far outpacing the average job posting bump of 30.5%, according to data from Indeed. 

All of this is why I’m looking forward to Arianna Huffington’s session at #SHRM22:

Shifting Mental Health Awareness into Action in the Workplace

In-Person and Virtual Tuesday 06/14/2022 09:00 AM – 10:00 AM   

Description: Mental health awareness is on the rise, particularly as COVID-19 continues to drive an epidemic of stress and burnout. That’s why it’s more important than ever for companies to prioritize employee well-being and mental health. This presents unique challenges and opportunities for HR, going beyond just providing mental health options to creating a workplace in which all employees truly feel supported by employers. During this enlightening session, Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO of Thrive, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, will focus on how we can shift awareness into action when it comes to mental health in the workplace. Named on Time Magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people as well as on the Forbes Most Powerful Women list, Huffington will share her expert take on the state of employee mental health and how you can support your workforce through the current challenges and beyond. You will learn how Microsteps, which are science-backed steps that are too-small-to-fail, lead to lasting change and how recharging requires unplugging, among many other actionable insights.

I’m glad the session is going to be both in-person and virtual for those who can’t attend the conference in person this year. I think this is something that everyone in HR should learn – how to put our own oxygen mask on before we can help others do the same. Just breathe and I’ll see you there.

SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2022

June 12-15, 2022 | New Orleans