Combating HR Burnout Should Be a Top Priority for Organizations

Ed note: Posts published on From the Workplace are written by outside contributors and do not reflect the views or opinions of SHRM.

Employee burnout. It’s a thing. In fact, 65% of employees experienced burnout in 2023, according to HR Dive. While burnout decreased by 7% from 2022, employers must keep a close eye on this issue. Compounding overall burnout is the rise of burnout among human resources professionals, which is at 71%—with two-thirds of HR pros thinking about switching to a non-HR job.

Why is the HR field facing such turbulence? Is it that HR pros just can’t hack it anymore? Or is it that the demand of the post pandemic workforce has drastically changed and expanded the HR scope? According to a 2023 Gartner survey of 217 HR leaders, 55% of HR leaders stated they are getting more requests on a wider variety of topics and 80% claim the HR function is facing different challenges including severe competition for talent, inflation impacts, remote work issues, mental health issues, etc. Additionally, more than half of the HR leaders reported having trouble in keeping and finding HR talent to join their teams.

The nature of HR work involves managing people related challenges and often deals with sensitive or complex situations, all of which contributes to high levels of stress for HR pros.

Other factors that may contribute to HR burnout are:

• Emotional labor: HR pros often need to manage their emotions and remain empathetic while dealing with employee issues, conflicts, or terminations.
• High workload: With the shortage of HR talent and the increase of HR requests/challenges the workload is very overwhelming and at times never ending.
• Handling conflict: HR pros may be tasked with resolving workplace conflicts, which can be emotionally draining and challenging.
• Changing regulations: HR must stay updated on labor laws, regulations, and compliance issues, which are time-consuming and stressful.
• Lack of control: HR pros often feel a lack of control over certain workplace issues, leading to frustration and stress.
• Work/life balance: HR pros often struggle to balance professional and personal life, especially during busy periods.
• Company scapegoat: HR is often the scapegoat of an organization, taking the blame when things don’t go well (layoffs, salary reduction) or if leaders are seemingly allowed to mistreat employees, etc.

Organizations depend on HR to help create meaningful, fulfilling employee experiences, build a culture of trust, drive performance and innovation, navigate economic realities such as fair compensation, and find new HR technology to streamline tedious HR processes. If the HR team of an organization burns out, who will help with other employee burnout? More importantly, how do organizations minimize HR burnout?

The risk of HR burnout can be mitigated through strategies such as:

1. Leadership support: Acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of HR pros. Recognize their contributions to the organization regularly. Foster an environment where HR pros feel comfortable expressing concerns and challenges. Encourage open dialogue about workload and stress levels. Listen**** and respond with support.
2. Realistic workload expectations: With the increase of requests and challenges, it is important not to overload HR with goals and expectations that are unrealistic. Avoid overloading HR with excessive tasks and ensure that deadlines are achievable. Help HR teams prioritize tasks, focusing on high-impact and time sensitive items.
3. Professional development: Often, HR is forgotten and left on their own to develop themselves. It is important for an organization to support professional development in HR to increase the expertise and skill level of the function which in turn is poured back into the organization with better HR programs.
4. Flexible work arrangements: Provide flexibility in work schedules or the option for remote work when feasible. This flexibility can help HR pros manage their personal and professional commitments.
5. Continuous feedback: Periodically assess the workload and stress levels within the HR department. Use data and feedback to identify areas for improvement and implement changes as needed. Be willing to adapt policies and procedures based on the evolving needs and challenges faced by HR pros.

As with regular employee burnout, employers must stay in tune to HR burnout. Employees want an employer who cares about their well-being. So, remember, HR pros are people, too!

Sara Valentine, SHRM-CP, is the vice president of talent and culture for Give Kids the World Village and the president of SimplyHR LLC.