Clinically reviewed by Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA, Chief Clinical Officer, Calm
Declining employee well‑being is putting organizations at risk. High stress levels are linked to lower productivity and reduced work satisfaction, for example. Burned‑out employees are far more likely to be actively looking for new jobs.
The latest workplace well-being data underscores the urgency: 50% of employees in the US and Canada report experiencing high daily stress, and nearly 30% of US workers say they feel burned out “very often or always,” according to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report.
With such high stakes, employers are reassessing their well-being vendors and demanding evidence of positive outcomes. Yet most employers—65%—don’t feel equipped to support the emotional and mental health needs of their workforce.
This is where consultants already play a critical role. As employers navigate an evolving mental health landscape, consultants are helping them evaluate solutions and build a cohesive, proactive mental health strategy. Modern mental health tools expand that opportunity by giving consultants the data, analytics, and engagement levers they need to guide year-round strategy discussions.
Where traditional EAPs fall short for strategic advisory
EAPs remain nearly universal, especially among large employers, and they continue to provide important support. But consultants know the limitations well: low utilization, limited preventive engagement, and minimal population‑level insight.
When only a small portion of the workforce interacts with an EAP, consultants lack the data needed to identify emerging trends, quantify needs, or guide upstream interventions. Without visibility into how employees are doing between crises, it’s difficult to help employers shape a forward‑looking well‑being strategy.
How modern mental health products unlock continuous, insight‑driven dialogue
In contrast, newer mental health solutions change the dynamic by engaging more employees earlier and generating rich population data and analytics. These tools deliver a steady stream of actionable insights that consultants can use to anchor strategic conversations.
Calm Health, for example, encourages broad workforce participation through mental health screenings and personalized goal‑setting. Its analytics dashboard gives HR teams and consultants visibility into:
- Workforce health goals
- Priority conditions across the population (e.g., anxiety, diabetes, obesity, cancer)
- Trends in mental health screening scores over time (e.g., whether anxiety or depression symptoms are rising, falling, or staying the same)
These insights help consultants shape targeted strategies, flag emerging risks, and connect well‑being investments to business outcomes such as retention and productivity.
Personalization and triage as strategic differentiators
A study of 6,200+ employees across 16 companies found that organizations that offer targeted interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach may see the greatest impact on the health of their employees.
Indeed, personalized pathways or recommendations are a powerful way to help employees find and use relevant mental well-being programs. For example, Calm Health uses an employee’s self-reported goals, topics of interest, and mental health–screening results to recommend specific programs—e.g., condition-specific, evidence-based programs; mindfulness tools; EAP services; crisis lines; and other employer-sponsored resources.
For consultants, this creates new opportunities to differentiate the employee experience. If an employer faces high costs related to cancer, diabetes, or weight management, consultants can recommend mental health programs with condition‑specific support. If a workforce includes large Gen Z, LGBTQ+, Black, or other identity‑based populations, consultants can guide clients toward solutions with tailored content for those groups.
Because these tools capture user behavior—views, clicks, and engagement patterns—consultants gain insight into what resonates and where adjustments are needed.
Segmented reporting that sharpens strategy
Segmentation capabilities deepen this visibility. For example, Calm Health allows employers to identify variables in the eligibility file to better understand how specific groups are using the product. Administrators can define segments based on country or state, department, employee type, occupational category, health insurer, age range (e.g., under 20, 20–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60), and gender.
They can then generate reports organized by segments to identify engagement trends and tailor strategies and outreach accordingly.
Analytics that support ongoing advisory, not just renewals
With richer data, consultants can guide clients through continuous improvement rather than annual check‑ins. Examples include:
- Using monthly or quarterly reporting to anchor strategic conversations
- Identifying high‑need groups—such as managers, Gen Z, women, or specific departments—and tailoring interventions
- Combining program‑utilization data, mental health‑screening trends, and employee feedback to build a comprehensive picture of workforce well‑being and where strategies need to evolve.
Trend analysis can inform benefits design, targeted programs, and communication strategies. This elevates consultants from transactional support to trusted strategic partners, which helps strengthen renewal discussions and long-term relationships.
Modern tools strengthen consultants’ influence in workforce mental health strategy
In short, modern mental health products like Calm Health expand the consultant’s toolkit. Higher engagement, personalized pathways, and robust analytics give consultants the insight they need to drive meaningful, year‑round strategy.
These capabilities help consultants
- Build integrated mental health-benefits ecosystems.
- Tailor experiences for people with specific conditions and life experiences.
- Demonstrate the value of well‑being investments.
- Stay central to client decision‑making.
In a landscape where employers are seeking clarity, outcomes, and strategic guidance, modern mental health tools act as relationship accelerators, empowering consultants to lead the conversation and deliver measurable impact.
Calm Health equips consultants to deliver an integrated mental health–benefits ecosystem; a differentiated employee experience with programs targeting specific conditions, tools, and resources designed for specific populations; and the data and tools to stay central and indispensable to client well-being decisions. In this way, modern mental health–support products like Calm Health are relationship accelerators, opening doors to more strategic, data-driven conversations.
