Advertising has always been a high-pressure industry, notorious for long hours, tight deadlines and huge client expectations. The tumult of the last few years hasn’t made things any easier. Overworked employees may be grinding harder than ever, wrestling with fears of budget cutbacks and job security.

If there’s one positive from all this upheaval, it’s that more organizations are recognizing that ensuring the health of their businesses must also be about supporting the individuals who make it all possible.

But employee well-being can’t simply be solved with one program. Creating and operationalizing a culture that’s centered on employee health, support and development requires a holistic strategy with ideas and investments from everyone involved.

Involve staff in setting the direction

While most big agency initiatives come from the top down, it’s important to make sure they’re aligned with the real needs of the agency’s people.

Surveys are great for gathering widespread qualitative and quantitative data about how employees feel and what’s working and what’s not. Steering committees or employee resource groups (ERGs) can also help gather suggestions and input companywide.

Invest in ongoing mental health education

Many agencies have already started to build mental health training into onboarding plans and annual training budgets.

For long-term impact, consider giving everyone a common language to communicate what they’re feeling, as well as permission to do so openly and honestly. From there, think about offering frequent topical training sessions, providing repetition and reinforcement.

Additionally, specialized training that teaches managers how to spot potential mental health struggles within their teams takes the pressure off individuals to reach out on their own. It gives managers tools to support their teams and prevent burnout before it starts.

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