Recruiting and retaining emerging talent is one of the biggest challenges facing employers today. Many try to sweeten the deal with higher salaries and impressive benefits, but one place that cannot be overlooked is the quality of mental health in a workplace. In this podcast, I interview Joaquin Diaz, the EHS Director for Skanska USA Building Inc. He shares their holistic approach to worker health and safety and the impact it has had on retention.His top three tips for reducing resignation rates and cultivating workplace wellbeing:

1. Change the conversation in your organization.
2. Manage the flexibility needed to maintain a healthy workforce.
3. Increase engagement about external and internal risk factors of mental health.

About Joaquin Diaz
Mr. Diaz has 24 years of occupational safety and health management experience. He is currently the Environmental, Health, and Safety Director for Skanska USA Building – Portland Office. He has overseen the developing and implementation of Health, Safety, and Environmental Management Systems for other contractors. Joaquin is responsible for the professional development, mentoring, and training of Safety Professionals in and out of his organization. Joaquin is skilled at developing and implementing practical solutions for complex problems and is recognized for his ability to achieve positive results through teamwork and effective leadership. With excellent communication and negotiation skills, “hands-on” field safety experience, and an understanding of the construction process, Joaquin plays an important role for both preconstruction and construction teams in identifying, preventing, or mitigating potential safety issues. Joaquin’s work experience includes 18 years in a leadership position for three top 150 ENR contractors. He served honorably in the United States Marine Corps. He is currently enrolled in a doctorate of public health program. He is currently focusing on mental health challenges in construction. He has done several presentations with different organizations and conferences on mental health. He is slated to present on mental health at the Oregon GOSH conference in March 2023 and the AIHCe in May 2023. He has two bachelor’s degrees from different universities and a master’s in management. He continues to pursue the highest level of credentials and education. He has the CIH, CSP, QEP, CHST, and OHST credentials. Joaquin is currently serving on the AIHA Total Worker Health committee. He is the Past President of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals for 2021. He also served on the ACGIH Nominations Committee. He serves on the ASSP/ANSI A10 Series committee. He was the past chair of the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board after being nominated by two separate governors and serving for three governors. He was past president of the Hawaii ASSE chapter, president of the Hawaii AIHA chapter, and active member of the national AGC Safety and Health committees partnering with OSHA, NIOSH, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Navy Facilities on initiatives and standards affecting the country. For more informayion on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/4