In today’s workforce landscape, measuring and benchmarking organisational mental health is essential. This framework offers clear, actionable insights to help you build a thriving workplace.

Workplace mental health should never be viewed as a  nice-to-have – it’s a business imperative. From compliance and culture to commercial success, it has secured its place on the executive agenda. But are we measuring what truly matters?

Too often we focus on  – superficial initiatives that check a box without addressing the root issues – a concept known as ‘wellbeing washing’. To avoid this trap and develop a truly impactful, fit-for-purpose mental health strategy, organisations must begin by measuring the current state of their workforce’s mental health.

The cost of ignorance

Investing in mental health without first understanding what your people truly need is like prescribing treatment without a diagnosis– it’s not just ineffective, it can be harmful. 

Too often, organisations default to feel-good fixes like mindfulness apps, yoga classes or mental health days, hoping to tick a box rather than solve a problem. But these initiatives often don’t address the root causes of distress. As a result, uptake is low, resources are wasted and employee trust begins to erode.

Worse still, poorly targeted interventions can backfire. Promoting “resilience training” while ignoring unrealistic workloads or ineffective leadership sends a dangerous message: that the problem lies with employees, not the system they’re working in.

To build strategies that are truly fit-for-purpose, organisations must first measure the current state of mental health in their workforce. 

This data is the foundation for meaningful action – targeted, sustainable and aligned with both legal obligations and the lived experiences of employees. Here’s why it is essential: 

1. Identifying real needs and risks
Data helps leaders pinpoint areas of concern, such as burnout hotspots, low morale or signs of psychological distress. This can guide focused interventions where they’re most needed – be it at a departmental level, within specific teams or across the organisation.

2. Avoiding assumptions
Without measurement, organisations often default to assumptions based on industry trends or leadership perspectives, which may not reflect employees’ lived experiences.

Surveys, focus groups and mental health audits offer insights that challenge biases and bring hidden issues to light.

Additionally, implementing initiatives like these demonstrates a workplace’s commitment to fulfilling its duty of care under Australia’s WHS laws.

It provides evidence that employers are actively working to identify and reduce risks to psychological health. Insights gained from tools such as employee surveys can then inform targeted interventions that improve mental health outcomes across the workforce. (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice, Safe Work Australia, 2022).

3. Allocating resources wisely
By understanding what’s really affecting employees, leaders can prioritise initiatives with the greatest potential for impact. Instead of funding generic programs, they can invest in tailored support systems, policy changes, training and leadership development that align with identified needs.

4. Demonstrating commitment
Gathering data on mental health signals to employees that leadership genuinely cares about their wellbeing. When followed by transparent action and ongoing engagement, this builds trust and fosters a culture of openness around mental health.

5. Tracking progress over time
Measurement enables benchmarking and continuous improvement. Organisations can assess whether interventions are working, adjust strategies and demonstrate accountability to stakeholders.

While measurement is vital, it’s not a silver bullet. It must be part of a larger framework that includes leadership buy-in, psychological safety, co-created solution, and a willingness to tackle systemic issues such as workload, inequity and poor communication.

A framework that delivers

Employee mental wellbeing is increasingly tied to business outcomes – from retention and engagement to reputation and performance – and companies can no longer afford to rely on guesswork or generic programs. 

Mental health initiatives must be grounded in the realities of the workforce they’re intended to support. Using a framework to guide the implementation of evidence informed initiatives is helpful to make sure all bases are covered.

SuperFriend’s Five Domains is a holistic evidence-informed framework that encompasses all stages of the employee lifecycle. It’s easy to apply and a logical approach to building a mentally thriving workplace that can be embedded using the results of a diagnostic tool such as the Thriving Workplace Index, or standalone. 

The validated framework was built on insights gathered through the Indicators of a Thriving Workplace, Australia’s largest workplace mental health survey, spanning over 10 years of data from over 75,000 workers and 19 industries across the nation.

SuperFriend’s Thriving Workplace Index is an evidence-informed diagnostic tool that captures the current state of your workforce’s mental health and wellbeing*. It will show you the level of burnout, psychological distress, productivity and presenteeism, as well as benchmark your organisation on psychosocial hazards and the five Domains against industry and national averages. Armed with these insights, HR practitioners, leaders and wellbeing decision-makers can remove the guesswork and lead with direction and focus. Now is the time to move from gut feeling to grounded insight and lead the change from within.

*Some organisations may be eligible for a complementary Thriving Workplace Index Light, if one of SuperFriend’s Superannuation Partners is nominated as their default Super Fund  – refer to link above to find out more).

 Stephanie Thompson is the Workplace Mental Health Advisor at Superfriend.