The talent and wellbeing crisis is far from over, according to new research from the advertising, marketing and media charity NABS.

The ongoing cost of living continues to exacerbate wellbeing as NABS research from the first quarter of 2023 reveals a dramatic 100% year-on-year increase in the number of people getting in touch for help. A large part of calls to the charity’s support services relate to redundancy and financial struggles.

Calls to NABS’ support team rose by 47% with emotional support the top reason for getting in touch,  making up 30% of all calls. Within emotional support the top two reasons employees are reaching out are mental health which makes up over half of those calls (55%) and mood and confidence (14%) unveiling some of the challenges ad land talent is facing whilst at work.

Mental health in crisis

In the midst of the cost of living crisis, NABS has reported financial assistance as a reason for 23% of all calls and redundancy for 15%. Online access to NABS digital redundancy support has almost trebled compared to the same period last year, reflecting the urgent need for guidance on employee rights, as waves of redundancies sweep the industry.

Therapy referrals have doubled as people seek help with the lasting effects of the pandemic. Notably, therapy referrals from men have risen by 50% where historically, men have been more reticent to seek support from NABS. 

Providing practical support

As a response to shifting industry needs and wellbeing priorities, NABS is expanding its shared learning experiences to offer a more agile service with two key changes. The first is in expanded Grow workshops that offer tried-and-tested mental wellness content and leadership and management development. The second are new Explore sessions which are additional coach-led group discussion sessions designed to help people understand emerging industry issues through collective exploration in a safe space. The Explore sessions will be developed monthly in response to what’s going on both within and outside the industry, the first one being exploring financial wellbeing. 

“It’s clear that new solutions are called for if we’re to advance the mental wellness of our industry and serve the growing demand for support, insight and development. Helping more individuals with our Grow and Explore offer remains at the heart of the charity, but opening up our expertise and much of the tried-and-tested content for organisations to also buy, seems like a no-brainer. This is especially the case as the profits from our commercial offer feed right back into the charity for more individuals to benefit,” explained Sue Todd, CEO, NABS.

Another large focus for NABS in the coming year is in expanding Advance, its commercial training offer. Advance is a training course designed to advance the mental wellness of everybody in the industry. While NABS’ offer focuses on helping individuals, Advance offers the same products for organisations. Organisiations will be able to buy in and create a course tailored to their bespoke needs allowing them to train employees around mental health at scale.

“We’ve identified the various factors that will help people to perform at work through the lens of mental wellness, teamed with neuroscience. From building trust and inclusivity as a leader to confidence and authentic relationship-building, organisations can give their teams a full suite of skills to support their mental wellness at work,” explains Uzma Afridi, principal business psychologist, NABS, co-leads on Advance.

Following the success of NABS’ TimeTo training programme, Advance will allow leaders to provide actionable, practical training and education around wellbeing. The courses can help leaders hone their own skills in courses such as Trusted Hybrid Leader and Inclusive Leader, addressing the current needs of managers looking to support themselves and others in a post-pandemic workplace. All profits will go straight back into NABS, providing the organistions with the funds it needs to support people across the industry. 

To find out more about Advance please click here.