The challenge
Acast is a complete ecosystem for podcasting, giving content creators the tools to make, distribute and monetise podcasts. With a team of over 450 people all over the world, Global People Partner, Amoy Wright, is based in the US and works in a (busy) team of six.
With a directive from the COO to investigate mental health and wellbeing solutions to better support employees during the pandemic, Amoy began to research Acast’s options.
“I was the first HR person in the US, and I was able to see the need in this market alone,” she says. “There are barriers to healthcare in the American system. Therapy isn't easy or cost-effective for most people. Our first response was actually to look at meditation and mindfulness apps, because they were something that employees had suggested. But we downloaded them and they just stayed on our phones. They weren’t going to be the solution our employees really needed.”
Acast's approach
As well as completely flexible working, Acast have an open approach to mental wellbeing in the business. “The COO mentioning how important mental health is to him was a reason for me wanting to come and work for this company in the first place,” says Amoy.
The pandemic was a catalyst for remote working at Acast, and the team experimented with some communal sessions to help the team deal with stress and feel more connected. “We had things like a weekly yoga session that people could join, but it was hard when we’re so global. We're always trying to balance local needs while recognising that we're a global organisation, and we need to streamline in any way that we can.”
Acast also hosts wellness weeks with a diverse range of speakers, and the HR team produces guides for managers to better support their staff. “But sometimes an employee just needs more than that. So even with those things we felt like we could be doing more.”
Acast's open podcasting ecosystem has seen them grow into a global company with
400 million monthly listens across different apps and platforms.
Where Spill comes in
Recognising the importance of 1-1 mental health support for the team, Acast have rolled access to Spill out to key markets, with plans to offer Spill to every employee in the coming year.
“I love Spill.” say Amoy. “ It's a one-stop mental health platform. The ease of booking an appointment means that support from a qualified professional is just a couple of clicks away. We’ve had such good feedback from employees, too, so seeing that impact is great.”
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Support from a qualified professional is just a couple of clicks away
Acast’s team works on Slack, so any barriers to getting support have been completely removed. “It fits into people’s lives. We’re always on Slack, and Spill is able to cover the time zones for our global employee base. I did my research and I don't think there was any other solution that was as convenient and cost effective. If you use Slack, you should use Spill.”
