Mental Health Barriers to Employment: What Recruiters Need to Know

There’s no doubt that job hunting is hard. For people struggling with mental health challenges, the stress of looking for a new role can feel even more difficult. Candidates might struggle with negative thoughts or low confidence, making them feel they’re not good enough to apply, let alone excel in the role.

This guide covers common mental health barriers to employment, practical ways to overcome them, and how you can actively support candidates throughout hiring and beyond.

Mental health challenges are more common than you might think

According to Mind, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, while 1 in 5 people report navigating common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression every week. However, having a mental health condition or experiencing poor mental health doesn’t automatically affect someone’s ability to work in the charity sector. As with any challenge, most people can thrive in a supportive workplace environment, and that starts with recruitment.

Recruiters play an important role in how they interact with candidates. While it’s not your job to diagnose, ask about, or even assume that people have mental health conditions, you should be aware of the potential barriers that mental health challenges can create. This awareness will help you create a fair and supportive recruitment experience. And in doing do, you can reduce barriers that might otherwise keep brilliant people from joining and staying in your charity workforce.

How can mental health affect finding employment?

Mental health affects all parts of our lives, including our professional lives. Whether someone struggles with depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or another mental health issue, its persistent presence can affect their experience when searching for jobs, applying and interviewing, and starting and staying in a role:

• Fear of rejection: any negative aspect of the process can reinforce negative thinking and discourage people from seeking employment.
• Applying for roles: the job hunt can exacerbate or trigger mental health issues. When vacancies are scarce and competition is high, job searching can feel like a full-time job. Applicants who have been searching for a while know that unsuccessful applications are often ignored.
• Interview stage: if a candidate progresses to the interview stage, they might worry about how they’ll be perceived, whether they’ll stumble over themselves and not present their best selves, or whether to disclose mental health issues.
• Offer and hiring stage: even when a candidate is ultimately offered a role, they may experience a wide range of emotions. If they struggle with low self-worth, they could enter the role already doubting their abilities.

The good news? While unemployment and difficulty finding work can harm mental wellbeing, a suitable role in a supportive environment can ease pressures. Better yet, financial security and a sense of purpose can help improve many people’s mental health.

Main mental health barriers to employment

Most people with mental health challenges want to be employed, with 70-90% saying they would like to work, yet only 37% are in paid employment, highlighting the significant barriers that prevent people from finding fulfilling roles that benefit both them and their employer. Remember that each person’s circumstances and experiences will differ. Some people might face only one, while others face an intimidating climb over several barriers before they’re even considered for a role:

Personal: confidence and self-esteem

When self-worth is damaged, many people try to protect themselves from further harm, even when things could go right. People struggling with low confidence or self-esteem may struggle to identify with job descriptions and may not view themselves as meeting the criteria, even if they do. They might not present the best version of themselves if they don’t feel worthy, perhaps by dialling down their achievements in interviews.

Social: stigma, bias and discrimination

Although mental health awareness has advanced significantly in the 21st century, stigma remains. People involved in the hiring process may hold assumptions or unconscious biases about mental health that unfairly and inadvertently disadvantage candidates. Some candidates may feel comfortable disclosing their condition, while others may choose to keep that information to themselves for fear of being judged.

Workplace: inflexible recruitment processes

Strict, rigid application or interview processes can create unnecessary difficulties for some candidates. In-person interviews sometimes add extra stress, so consider whether remote interviews could be arranged. Sharing interview questions ahead of time also allows candidates to prepare and showcase their knowledge and skills. Restrictive time-based competency tests can prevent candidates from demonstrating their best.

Financial and systemic barriers

If someone has been out of work for a while due to mental health, they may have been receiving benefits to help them get by. While working is likely to benefit them financially, a gap can exist between changes to financial support and the first payslip. This transition can be very stressful, plus people may feel scrutinised if asked to provide evidence to support their request.

How can recruiters remove mental health barriers when hiring?

Recruiters can make positive changes to hiring processes to help mitigate some of the barriers people with mental health challenges face:

• Be clear: make recruitment information clear and accessible from the outset, starting with an inclusive job description. This will help candidates quickly determine whether the process and role suit them.
• Invite candidates to request adjustments: give candidates the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments. You don’t have to ask them directly if they have any issues; they will disclose this if they want to. But you can make them feel comfortable by letting them know alternative arrangements are possible.
• Offer flexibility: where possible, be flexible with interviews and assessments, such as video conferencing, limiting panel members, or changing the venue.
• Invite candidate suggestions: many people will know how, where and when they are at their best, so invite candidates to suggest amendments to the interview process. For example, if you’d usually ask for a competency test, candidates could complete the task at their own pace, then present it and explain their approach.
• Reiterate your flexibility and support: what works for one person may not work for another. Recruiters should listen to individual needs and make reasonable adjustments. It’s crucial that all employees – new or long-term – know they can ask for the help they need to succeed.
• Remove your own bias: avoid making assumptions about what candidates with mental health challenges can or cannot do.
• Challenge other people’s bias: train hiring managers and interviewers to recognise and minimise bias, and encourage them to ask thoughtful, relevant questions as they would with any other candidate.
• Be responsive: communicate clearly and sensitively at each step. Deliver negative feedback constructively, not as a personal attack. Don’t provide false hope when you know their skill set isn’t suitable for the role.
• Control what you can control: while you may want to help as much as possible, you’ll need to recognise there are wider systemic issues you can’t change, such as access to mental health resources in the NHS.

Support candidates beyond the recruitment process

Once you’ve made a hiring decision, support for candidates doesn’t stop there. Notify unsuccessful candidates that their application won’t progress beyond shortlisting. If they reached the interview stage, offer personalised feedback that reminds them they’re a strong candidate with plenty of potential, and encourage them to continue their job search.

For candidates who receive a job offer, this is the point at which they may disclose mental health conditions if they haven’t already. Invite them to discuss their needs, facilitate a supportive onboarding plan and make appropriate adjustments to help them settle in. Inform them about available support, such as an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

A successful hire is more than just filling the role. Focus on long-term retention as a measure of success. Support candidates’ career progression and development to help them stay in work longer.

Mental health and employment law

Organisations must be aware of laws, regulations, and policies around mental health in both employment and recruitment, and meet their ‘duty of care’ under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

• Under the Equality Act of 2010, mental health conditions qualify as a disability and should be accommodated as such.
• Reasonable adjustments must be made to ensure people with mental health conditions aren’t unfairly disadvantaged. This includes making changes to strict recruitment processes and being flexible in arrangements.
• It is illegal to discriminate against someone due to their mental health. Discrimination can be direct or indirect and could lead to legal action against your organisation.
• Your charity should have a mental health policy that clearly defines commitment to support, procedures and confidentiality. Review it regularly as legislation changes.

Build a more supportive recruitment process with CharityJob

Recruiters are pivotal in breaking down avoidable barriers that people with mental health issues face when looking for work – so consider how you can influence the entire candidate journey. Make changes at key touchpoints by championing diversity and fairness for all, from application and interview to onboarding and retention. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but you can start by listening to candidates’ needs and understanding their experiences to build inclusive recruitment practices.

CharityJob can help you with this process too. Simply post a job using ‘Apply via CV and cover letter’ to get free access to our end-to-end Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and helpful features, such as anonymous recruitment and customisable email templates.

We offer four job ad packages to suit your needs and budget. Choosing the right package matters because it determines the pool size, type, and quality of candidates your ad will reach. If you’re not sure which is right for your non-profit organisation, contact us for personalised advice. Click on the button below, give us a call on 020 8939 8430, or email us at info@charityjob.co.uk