Authors: Mathieu Blais Heather Eastman Kathleen Schulz
On the whole, HR professionals are stressed, overworked and overburdened. Despite this reality, it's not unusual for them to put the needs of the organization and its employees above their own. But for all parties to succeed, HR professionals need support to help ensure their mental health and wellbeing thrive.
HR teams are often unique in their attributes and in the tasks they execute. Across organizations, teams vary widely, and there's no single model for how they should be structured. Employer size, geographic reach and even foundational roots can factor into who leads these teams and how they function.
HR staffing numbers matter, but there's no one-size-fits-all approach. An employer experiencing rapid growth often needs a team of recruiters, whereas one in stasis doesn't. But even when resource needs exist, hiring more HR staff isn't always an option. In fact, more than half of HR departments report being understaffed and working beyond normal capacity.1 Since staffing levels are unlikely to change, finding greater efficiencies and creating a culture that minimizes workplace friction are crucial to reducing burnout and helping to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing of HR professionals stays intact.
Leveraging technology to streamline HR operations
Employers are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and other HR technologies to increase efficiencies within their HR functions. Half plan to upgrade their current HR tech (17%), add new solutions (14%), or both (19%) by 2026.2
Topmost among motivators is increasing efficiency through process automation; it's the main reason for HR solution investments (89%). A popular feature of this capability is enabling self-service for all — a win for both the employer and its employees. Other priorities include complying with regulations (51%), supporting the people strategy (47%) and meeting the expectations of employees (46%) or leadership (38%).2
While AI and other HR technologies can drive efficiencies and unlock innovative ways to support the workforce, the focus needs to be on getting the basics right. With proper oversight, they can take on high-effort, low-reward tasks, freeing up HR professionals for more strategic initiatives.
The value of minimizing workplace friction and creating a culture of wellbeing
Even with technology in place, HR professionals need protection from burnout to bring passion to their roles. They regularly deal with workplace conflict and need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Having zero-tolerance harassment and other policies in place promotes an environment of psychological safety and demonstrates that the organization cares about the wellbeing of its workforce. This environment can help limit work-induced stress for HR professionals by reducing the frequency of incidents that require their intervention.
Establishing a culture of wellbeing is easy to aspire to but can be difficult to achieve. It requires a mosaic of initiatives, policies and programs that support the different aspects of wellbeing. Employers that succeed provide autonomy, freedom to fail, opportunity for growth and development, recognition, appreciation and meaningful communication. When those aren't present, burnout, decreased productivity and avoidable departures are more common.
Cultural wellbeing shortcomings are typically rooted in organizational, not individual issues. Reexamining dynamics within an organization can identify pain points and opportunities for improvement. Drilling down to this level is often necessary to help achieve wellbeing for the greatest number of employees, including HR professionals.
Listening with purpose and communicating with authenticity
To understand the employee experience, employers need to listen to their workforce. Listening allows them to look ahead and better address any burnout or wellbeing issues that may arise. Listening to feedback from HR employees about their perceptions on compensation and benefits can be beneficial. Equally important are their perspectives on the emotions and values within the organization. While some level of stress is inevitable and even healthy, feeling disconnected or unimportant is a problem.
Mental health and wellbeing resources play a role in supporting employees, but it's critical that they're continually evaluated for efficacy and real-world utilization. Too often, they're deployed in response to stressors and struggles without complementary action to address underlying culture issues. Having the right strategic and tactical vendor partners can help employers better define and meet employee needs.
Shifting how leaders communicate can also be helpful. While recognizing achievement is important, expressions of appreciation may be even more compelling. The former can sometimes be too transactional, whereas the latter connects more to the human experience. As coaches, the best managers support employee development and notice growth, even in the absence of perfection. When employees are committed to putting in the work, recognizing this effort is extremely powerful. And a simple "thank you" goes a long way.
Communicating with transparency and authenticity is key to modern leadership. Employees at every level experience challenges, and expressions of empathy build a sense of humanity and togetherness. It's not always easy, but the ability to notice stress and raise a hand should be lauded. When leadership openly displays a healthy amount of vulnerability, it shows the rest of the organization that it's ok to ask for help. This is particularly meaningful for HR professionals, who often put others before themselves.
Additionally, respecting time off and the ways in which employees choose to recharge needs to be demonstrated through policies and training. For HR professionals, not having the space to prioritize or receive support for their own mental health and wellbeing makes the workday more difficult for everyone. Hard work should be commended, but it shouldn't be a badge of honor to sacrifice personal time. In healthy organizations, the message should be that time off is available, and employees should use it when needed to care for themselves.
Strategically investing in HR to drive success
Traditional HR models often funnel up to finance or administrative leads. Some progressive organizations might offer a seat at the executive table for HR. Either model can work, but it's leadership — whatever their background or title — who is responsible for helping to ensure that the voice of HR is heard and valued.
HR is an imperative function for organizations, but that's not always reflected in their budgets. HR leadership needs to be empowered to make a business case for adequate funding, which means looking at the overall health of the organization and being realistic about how much investment is needed to address their group's needs. Unfortunately, it frequently becomes a question of how to make the most of what they already have.
Dialogue around roles and objectives is vital. These inputs, along with other organizational data, lead to informed, winning decisions and establishing a plan can provide greater focus. Being able to see the path ahead and having clarity of what work should be prioritized gives teams the freedom to execute. Certainty of mission and shared decision-making builds confidence and a sense purpose, helping to improve the engagement of those on the team.
Organizations that are serious about sustainability should also consider investing more in the training of HR professionals. For example, currently only about 1 in 5 employers (22%) offer mental health training for leaders, managers, or HR.3 These roles greatly impact the employee experience and perceptions around workplace culture.
Increasingly, employees are asking themselves if their jobs matter and whether they feel connected to their colleagues. This questioning is particularly true among the Gen Z workers, projected to account for 30% of the workforce by 2030.4 When the employee value proposition (EVP) doesn't reflect the actual work experience, it creates a feeling that there may be some injustice in the workplace, whether it's real or perceived. Living up to the EVP requires reflection of the end-to-end employee experience and alignment of organizational values.
HR professionals often risk burnout in favor of servicing their employer and its EVP. While advances in AI and other technologies help add efficiency, other types of support are also impactful. Leadership, particularly those atop HR, can minimize workplace friction and help foster a positive culture of wellbeing. By investing in these areas, employers elevate the mental health and wellbeing of HR professionals and improve operational outcomes.
