Burnout | While HR looks after everyone else, who is looking after them?

In a recent Gartner report, 51% of HR leaders said they’re receiving more requests for support post pandemic, and 45% said it’s more difficult to handle demands, suggesting that HR are experiencing an unprecedented level of burnout. While HR looks after everyone else, who is looking after them?

In 2022, Forbes reported that a staggering 98% of HR practitioners were experiencing burnout. The pressures that HR faced over the pandemic can’t be forgotten, moving employees online and remote, and dealing with hiked resignations and mental health cases was an unparalleled task. While HR was also tasked with firing those employees who were losing their jobs or being put on furlough.

But the aftermath of this continues. There are still record high numbers of skills gaps, unemployment and poor mental health in workforces. With many firms attempting to scale back their expenditure, it's been up to these practitioners to balance the wants of executives and the needs of the workforce.

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Yet, as HR takes on more responsibility than ever, they're risking their own mental health and wellbeing for the sake of everyone else. In a profession focused around serving others, it’s important for firms to acknowledge their HR teams and create safeguarding measures to protect them. It’s also crucial for HR Directors to be aware of burnout and stress amongst the members of their teams.