How to support mental health and wellbeing in recruitment

Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off on 12th May and this year’s theme is all about Community. It highlights how important connection and belonging are for our mental wellbeing. At its core, the recruitment journey is all about people – and how we interact with candidates, colleagues and hiring teams can either boost their sense of connection or leave them feeling a bit left out.

Our applicant tracking system (ATS) helps employers build fairer, more inclusive and more human hiring experiences. But systems alone aren’t the whole story – the people behind the process, as well as the culture they help create, are just as crucial. So how can we use recruitment as a tool to promote better mental health and a stronger sense of community?

Community begins with connection

According to the Mental Health Foundation, feeling connected to others and being part of a community is protective against poor mental health. In contrast, I think we're all aware that loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of depression and anxiety.

That’s why we believe that creating safe, supportive and inclusive hiring experiences is more than just a best practice – it’s a matter of wellbeing. When candidates feel seen, heard and respected, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging and self-worth. This starts with the very first interaction.

In our webinar on creating talent safe spaces, we explored the importance of psychological safety in recruitment. This included being clear about what to expect, giving constructive feedback and ensuring interviewers are trained to listen with empathy. It also means acknowledging the pressures that candidates are under when they're being interviewed or going through the hiring process, particularly if they are changing careers, facing redundancy or re-entering the workforce.

Recruiting with compassion

Rather than just avoiding harming mental health, a thoughtful recruitment process can actively support mental wellbeing. This means recognising that every applicant brings their full self to the table: their hopes, their fears, their personal and professional stories - and feel safe to do so.

For example, mental health stigma still exists in many workplaces and some candidates might worry about exposing a mental health condition. By being explicit about inclusive values and offering reasonable adjustments, we can help reduce this anxiety and send a clear signal that wellbeing matters.

In sectors like the NHS, where staff face immense mental health pressures, it’s even more important to build systems of support from the very beginning. Our blog on addressing the NHS mental health crisis looked at how employers can use recruitment as an entry point to better support. – not just for candidates, but for new joiners navigating emotionally demanding roles.

Building communities through recruitment

The recruitment process doesn’t end with a job offer. In fact, it’s just the start of building lasting communities within the workplace. We’ve seen how creating “talent tribes” – groups united by purpose, interest or experience – can help people feel connected and supported.

In our webinar on this topic (How to create Talent Tribes and Communities), we explored how digital tools and data can be used to bring people together in meaningful ways. Whether it’s a buddy system for new starters, alumni networks or communities of practice, these shared spaces give people a sense of identity and belonging. They also create opportunities for peer support – a key factor in improving mental health.

Motivation, purpose and mental health

Our sense of wellbeing is closely tied to our motivation and sense of purpose. Recruitment should help people understand not just what a role involves, but why it matters. This means going beyond job specs and benefits to speak to people’s deeper drivers.

Our webinar, decoding employee motivations, explored how understanding individual purpose can lead to better engagement and mental health outcomes. When candidates feel a strong alignment with a company’s mission and values, it can create a powerful sense of meaning – and that starts during the hiring process.

Similarly, creating opportunities for candidates to connect with existing employees can offer authentic insights and help reduce anxiety. Employee advocacy can play a vital role here – when employees share their stories and experiences, it builds trust and creates a more transparent and welcoming culture.

Putting wellbeing at the centre of recruitment

So what does it mean to put wellbeing at the heart of the recruitment journey?

It means being human. It means designing processes that respect people’s time, their needs and their dignity. It means being clear and consistent, so people aren’t left in the dark. It means building systems that support connections – to peers, to purpose and to community.

Our ATS gives hiring teams the tools to do this – from inclusive job adverts and automated feedback, to candidate engagement features and onboarding tools. But ultimately, it’s about culture: creating an environment where people feel they belong from the moment they apply.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we encourage every organisation to consider how their recruitment process contributes to the wider community they’re building. Because when people feel they are part of something meaningful, they thrive – and so do the organisations they join.