June 17, 2022

Onboard Men’s Health Week – with John Holland

Series 2: The how to getting employee experience right.

John Holland, Senior Software Engineer & Mental Health First Aider at Maersk, joins me to explore men’s mental health as part of employee experience.

As a Mental Health First Aider, John provides real insight into some of the challenges that men experience and how to engage with them. But he offers more than that; John is an advocate for a more holistic approach to mental wellbeing. He recognises the role of individual responsibility, of leadership establishing the culture, and the importance of having someone to be by your side, no matter what people are experiencing. ‘Walking with your colleagues’ is an approach that so many organisations could benefit from.

We cover a range of points including:

How mental health fits into the wider employee experience and Health and Safety agendas
How Maersk is approaching work experience, particularly for men
Creating opportunities to develop employee experience and mental wellbeing when it’s beyond the day job
Challenging the name of Mental Health First Aiders
Gender differences in experiencing mental health difficulties and seeking help, and how to tackle them
Shifting the focus from responding to preventing problems
The value EAPs provide when the breadth of resources and support is known
Using employee engagement surveys to make a difference
Useful tips for men, and practical steps for leaders

More about John

John works in IT for an amazing company called Maersk, and within the organisation he is part of a mental health first aid network. They offer support, run webinars and promote wellbeing within the company. Outside of work he presents on a radio station called RunnRadio.com. When he is not working or presenting, he is married with a 10 year old son. Music is a big passion of his and he loves what he does for the radio station.