July 26, 2023

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Hello and welcome to another edition of Behind the Exterior with me, Ellis Morris. As you probably know by now (but if not, welcome!), this is where I share my take on important topics in the construction recruitment industry.

And there’s really nothing more important when we talk about people than their health. Physical health and safety are obviously crucial, and we have whole processes in place to keep workers safe on-site. But something that’s spoken about far less in our industry is mental health.

Meanwhile, the construction sector has the second-highest suicide rate of all US industries.

Just let that sink in for a second.

Something needs to be done about this, and as with most things, solutions start to take shape when we have open and honest conversations.

I make it a point to talk to my candidates about their mental health. About the things that are stressing them out about a particular job – or maybe something that’s not even vaguely related to work – and about the kind of support they need at any given time.

Now, I’m no mental health professional, so I’d advise anyone struggling (or even just going through a bit of a rough patch) to speak to someone who can help. There’s no shame in reaching out!

I also speak to my clients about the things they can do to protect the people in their teams. Because, surprise, better mental health also means better results.

Understanding the full picture of the people working in your team, such as any pre-existing conditions or personal circumstances, can help you to be a better employer and, in turn, see better outcomes.

Take burnout, for example. It’s one thing to see that someone is worn down and stressed. That normally leads to frustration on both ends, doesn’t it?

But if you understand

1. What’s leading to this person struggling

2. Whether there are process changes you can make to help

3. How the wider team can support

you end up with an employee who not only feels taken care of but also can work more productively. And that, in turn, protects your other employees because you’re operating at full capacity.

(As a side note, there’s some impressive evidence that points to 5-day construction workweeks significantly improving mental health amongst workers. Read more about that here. Food for thought, maybe?)

As a hiring manager, what can you do to support the people in your team? My colleague, Jamie, published a full newsletter on this topic not too long ago.

Here are some of the topline pointers I want to share with you here:

1. Respect time off and personal boundaries

2. Compliment a job well done

3. Understand that people have bad days

Give the full piece a read here (and give him a subscribe while you’re there, so you get notified and never have to miss out on the conversation again!)

There really aren’t enough open platforms to discuss these things, especially not in the notoriously gruff construction sector. All the more reason to start making a positive impact on your own team.

Chat next month,

Ellis

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