3

Ways to Transform Leadership

and Raise Retention
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A company’s leadership has a

powerful influence on employee
retention. With strong,
compassionate leadership,
employees aren’t just happier
and less stressed in the
workplace—they’re also more
invested in their work.

When employees feel connected to

their teams, leaders, and organizations,
they’re 11x more likely to stay for
another three years.1

Calm for Business

1
2022 Global Culture Report, O.C. Tanner, 2021.
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What leaders do:

Shape company policies Incentivize employees

Model behavior and attitudes Inspire growth

Execute ideas Make decisions

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Transform leadership
raise retention rates

With the great resignation in full swing,

there’s never been a better time to focus
on leadership. Here are three ways to
create change:

Re-examine employer attitudes

1 and company policies

2 Bolster and expand the role of HR

Train managers to support

3 employees emotionally

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Re-examine employer attitudes

1 and company policies

As an employer, the policies you set and

attitudes you hold affect how supported,
included, and fulfilled your employees feel at
work. You can help improve your employees’
work satisfaction and overall well-being by
leading by example, especially when it comes
to supporting employees’ mental health.

The #1 reason
employees quit their jobs during the
pandemic is because it negatively
impacted their mental health.2

Calm for Business

2
Mental health and workplace survey, Calm, 2021.
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Strategies for re-examining employer attitudes

and company policies

De-stigmatize mental health: Help eliminate stigma by changing

the conversation around mental health. You could discuss mental
health in company-wide newsletters, encourage employees
to take advantage of Calm’s mental wellness platform, or hold
virtual coffee chats where company presidents and C-suite execs
open up about their own mental health struggles or share tips.

Foster an inclusive workplace: Organizations with high inclusion

and low exclusion rates reported 93% less burnout among
employees.3 Creating a psychologically safe space for every
employee requires prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI). DEI work has to be continuous and ever-evolving to make
a difference, but a good place to start is hiring a DEI expert to
review your internal policies and suggest improvements.

Invite and implement employee feedback: Lots of companies

encourage employees to share their feedback, but only 16%
of companies actually take action on that feedback.4 Instead
of surveying employees without following up, take the time to
schedule monthly progress sessions where you review employee
ideas, discuss actionable steps, and set realistic goals to
implement feedback.

Calm for Business

3
2022 Global Culture Report, O.C. Tanner, 2021.
4
2021 Engagement and Retention Report, Achievers Workforce Institute, 2021.
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2 Bolster and expand the role of HR

Instead of supporting employees only of employees say their

when there’s a problem, HR can take
a proactive, preventative approach to 97% employers should take
responsibility to improve the
employee burnout and quitting. mental health of their workers.5

5
Mental health and workplace survey, Calm, 2021.

Calm for Business

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Strategies for bolstering and expanding

the role of HR

Advocate for better mental health support: In addition to

creating employee assistance programs and distributing
educational resources about mental health, HR can push
for benefits—like paid coaching sessions or retreats—that
strengthen employees’ mental well-being. Forty-nine
percent of employees want paid mental health days, 32%
want wellness stipends, and 25% want access to mental
health counselors.6

Organize opportunities to connect with coworkers: A big

part of employee wellness is interpersonal connection.
Encourage employees to bond with one another by
organizing company retreats and team hangouts (virtual
or in-person).

Create an employee portal: HR should be a safe

sounding board for employees. An employee portal
gives employees a fast, anonymous way to reach out if
they have questions or concerns. It also offers easy access
to online wellness resources, like videos, guides, and
benefits information.

Calm for Business

6
Mental health and workplace survey, Calm, 2021.
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Train managers to support

3
employees emotionally

Managers and supervisors play a critical

role in employees’ day-to-day happiness
and well-being. With reliable, empathetic
managers to lean on, employees may feel
more secure and competent—and less
overwhelmed and anxious.

1 3 in
employees feel disconnected
from their leader.7

Calm for Business

7
2022 Global Culture Report, O.C. Tanner, 2021.
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Strategies for supporting employees emotionally:

Check in with employees regularly: Thirty-eight percent of employees said

their managers haven’t checked in with them since the start of the pandemic.8
Teach managers to set aside time every week or month to meet with
employees and ask how they’re feeling about their jobs and workloads.

Communicate expectations clearly: When employees understand

their responsibilities and goals, they can work with less stress and more
confidence. Use team meetings and one-on-ones to answer questions and
set your expectations for employee workloads, work processes, workplace
communication, and team collaboration.

Acknowledge employees’ hard work: One in four employees said a lack of

recognition was the most disappointing aspect of their job.9 Train managers
to give spontaneous positive feedback and thank employees for their efforts.

Create space to talk about mental health conversations: Managers can help
support employees when they’re struggling, but 66% of employees don’t feel
comfortable talking about their mental health with their manager.10 Fostering
trust takes time, but it starts with empathy. Enroll managers in a mandatory
mental health and leadership course to help them understand how to lead
with empathy and show up for employees in hard times.

Calm for Business

8
Top Findings From Lattice’s Career Progression Survey, Lattice, 2021.
9
Top Findings From Lattice’s Career Progression Survey, Lattice, 2021.
10
Mental health and workplace survey, Calm, 2021.
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Want to learn more

about employee
engagement and
well-being?

Download Calm’s guide to improving

mental health in the workplace.

Calm for Business