Our inspiring conversation
What was your goal at DEPT® when you introduced OpenUp?
Our goal with OpenUp is to aim for happy Depsters because that’s what is most important for us. What we love about OpenUp is that it’s accessible for everyone and it’s anonymous so anyone can just sign up and have a conversation with a certified psychologist anytime they want.
How did OpenUp impact your company culture?
First of all, it made it easier for Depsters to talk about mental wellbeing with each other but also with their leads. Secondly, it gives our leads the opportunity to take part in courses, it really helps them with providing feedback during our yearly evaluations. OpenUp also provided a course about “identifying the early signs of burnout” so that’s also something that we found very helpful.
Have you received any feedback from your employees about the OpenUp platform?
Yeah definitely. Every single one of our Depsters who had a session with a psychologist at OpenUp was just very happy about it and was telling other people very enthusiastically like “hey this really helped me”. It really does help our employees. Our satisfaction rate was a 9.7/10 for the last 12 months so that’s also really cool to see.
How do you encourage work-life balance among employees?
We do a lot of things. I think just talking about it and creating an environment in which it’s okay to discuss these topics with management is the most important. We also have a lot of expats working at DEPT. For them we offer the opportunity to work abroad so they can spend more time with their family in their home country.
What do you think is the role of leadership and management when it comes to making mental well-being a topic in your company?
The most important role of management is to create a safe environment. We recently had a session about the new generation and their needs. It’s evident that they have higher expectations regarding mental well-being, a topic that is increasingly significant. I believe creating a safe and supportive atmosphere is crucial. However, not everyone is accustomed to this shift yet.
Therefore, it’s essential for management to understand and meet these evolving needs, especially for the new generation. Managers should also ensure that it’s acceptable to be vulnerable in the workplace by demonstrating vulnerability themselves. A common principle in management is to “lead by example.”
In terms of mental well-being, this includes showing vulnerability, admitting mistakes, apologising, and being open about not feeling well. These actions help set a tone of openness and trust.
