Often tasked with addressing the causes of overwhelm and stress in their organisations, HR professionals themselves can struggle with feelings of burnout. Emily Pearson highlights the organisational, team and individual factors that can help minimise burnout in the profession, as well as the workforce.
Over the past decade, employee mental health and wellbeing have become significant components of HR professionals’ responsibilities, but recent studies have shed light on a prevailing mental health crisis among HR professionals themselves.
With record rates of staff attrition and a substantial number considering leaving the HR profession altogether, the burden of burnout is disproportionately affecting HR staff compared to other disciplines.
Burnout in HR
HR’s post-pandemic wellbeing yet to bounce back
CIPD Good Work Index 2023: Workers less fulfilled and more stressed
There is an urgent need for targeted intervention. According to CIPD research, a staggering 44% of HR professionals report experiencing mental health challenges at the workplace, while a Sage survey showed 81% personally identify with feelings of burnout.
These concerning trends are not confined to HR; they resonate across various professional domains. But HR professionals are often tasked with addressing the causes of burnout in their organisations.
Failure to tackle poor mental health and burnout can lead to severe consequences, compromising both personal wellbeing and professional trajectories. And is possible for HR to address these in their organisations when they often struggle themselves?
Burnout in HR
Burnout materialises as a consequence of unmanaged, chronic workplace stress, resulting in emotional and physical depletion. The HR profession, in particular, faces a unique set of challenges and demands that exacerbate burnout, including:
- Compassion fatigue: Navigating workplace stress and supporting colleagues through empathy and compassion places HR professionals under immense strain. The rise in work-related stress and efforts to tackle mental health stigma contribute to this overwhelming burden.
- Self-neglect: Prioritising the needs of others often leads to neglecting one’s own wellbeing. HR professionals, who champion the needs of their colleagues, can find their own needs overshadowed.
- Chronic stress and heavy workloads: Prolonged exposure to work-related stress, compounded by the added responsibilities brought on by the pandemic, can culminate in burnout. The continuous high-stakes workload placed on HR professionals compounds this challenge, despite the prevention of work-related stress being a legal obligation.
- Being a bridge between management and workforce: HR professionals shoulder the weighty responsibility of translating management decisions into actionable plans for the broader workforce. This responsibility adds an extra layer of complexity to their role.
In addition to these specific HR challenges, several overarching issues contribute to the prevailing crisis:
- Discrepancies between expectations and realities can lead to conflict and dissatisfaction
- Lack of recognition for efforts made can diminish motivation and disrupt harmony
- Isolation, exacerbated by the rise of hybrid work models, hampers a sense of community and support
- A values misalignment, particularly poignant in compassionate professions (care workers, clinicians, social workers but not excluding HR) impacts job satisfaction and purpose.
Compassion fatigue
HR professionals often find themselves in the position of addressing colleagues’ calls for help, especially in distressing situations. This heightened responsibility places immense pressure on HR professionals, a pressure that intensified during the pandemic.”
As mental health and wellbeing have become integral to HR responsibilities, compassion fatigue has emerged as a real concern. While conversations about mental health are more open, the lack of appropriate support, training, and development for managers to confidently engage in these conversations compounds the challenge. HR professionals often find themselves in the position of addressing colleagues’ calls for help, especially in distressing situations. This heightened responsibility places immense pressure on HR professionals, a pressure that intensified during the pandemic.
Interestingly, as the go-to experts on wellbeing and mental health within their organisations, HR frequently report insufficient training and support to manage these issues at an individual level. Moreover, they lack specialised development for crafting and executing mental health and wellbeing strategies.
Fortunately, organisations are now recognising that establishing these fundamentals leads to a thriving culture that attracts and retains talent. Employees who feel happy, engaged, and motivated contribute to improved business performance.
To counter the mounting HR crisis, there are several organisational, team, and individual approaches that need to work together at the same time:
- Organisational level: Providing robust support for leaders, emphasising reward and recognition, is pivotal. Implementing effective systems for pre-emptive work-related stress management, coupled with cultural enhancements that promote mental health and wellbeing, are imperative. Equipping managers to confidently prevent work-related stress and address employee concerns fosters positive work cultures. Distributing these responsibilities more broadly among managers can alleviate HR’s burden and encourage specialist development in crucial areas such as mental health, wellbeing, and EDI.
- Team level: Nurturing a culture of care and community within teams, encouraging open dialogues about personal impacts and required support, is essential. Regular stress risk assessments, not merely to meet legal requirements, but to actively seek opportunities for growth, should be implemented. Leading by example reinforces shared values and encourages positive change.
- Individual level: Encouraging education on burnout, compassion fatigue, and recovery empowers individuals. Prioritising self-compassionate care, reducing stress levels both at work and home, and addressing stressors are key steps. Employees should prioritise their wellbeing, allocate time for it, and seek assistance when needed. Accessible wellbeing provisions and drawing on support from colleagues at work and family at home contribute to individual wellbeing.
Adopting these approaches constitutes a winning strategy. By addressing these issues at their core, organisations can cultivate a thriving environment that attracts, retains, and empowers talent. Employees who are content, engaged, and motivated not only enhance their personal lives but also bolster business performance.
Through strategic intervention and proactive steps, the tide of the burnout crisis in HR can be stemmed, leading to a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more human resources jobs
