One of the things that became evident during the pandemic is how important 1^st responders are to society, and how prevalent burnout is among them.

Today I’d like to bring awareness to the group of 1^st responders critical to business – HR professionals. As a group, HR is the unsung hero of both the pandemic and the Great Resignation, but it has come at an extremely high cost. The Great Resignation has produced the Great HR Burnout.  According to the Workvivo report published in Forbes:

·      98% of HR reported feeling burnout

·      78% would consider leaving for another opportunity

·      88% reported dreading their work

·      73% don’t have the tools/resources they need to do their job

·      71% do not feel valued by their organizations

Given that one of the top attributes of a toxic culture is people not feeling valued, there is genuine cause for concern about the health and sustainability of your organization with 71% of HR folks feeling  unvalued.

If you’re a C-Suite leader looking to retain some of your most valuable contributors, I invite you to seriously consider the following suggestions:

Ways to Demonstrate You Value Your HR Team:

  1.  Schedule standing meetings to hear their recommendations and ask what support they need from you.

  2.  Provide that support in both budget and presence. One of the biggest frustrations voiced by HR professionals is being charged with initiative responsibilities and then being denied the budget to carry them out. The second frustration is no visible C-suite support for the initiatives which is critical to their success.

  3.  Acknowledge the level of stress HR has been handling on behalf of the organization and provide them the tools and support they need to restore themselves and to do their jobs well.

  4.  Incorporate stress reduction and resilience trainings. They are effective very effective. According to a Udemy study, 48% of employees report that company-sponsored wellness programs are the no 1. factor in helping manage stress.

  5. Contemplate all your HR team has done to keep your organization stabilized and in business for the last several years and take these action steps:

• Ask your CHRO if they feel they are given the same respect and voice as their C-suite counterparts. If not, find out what is necessary to provide that equality. If you don’t have a CHRO position, it’s time to do so. The role’s importance cannot be underestimated in today’s world. 

• If interdepartmentally HR is not given the same respect as traditional revenue generating departments, devise a campaign you lead to consistently demonstrate that your CHRO’s seat at the table is valued and supported, both in action and policy.

HR has always been a fundamental cog in the wheel of successful organizations. The workforce paradigm shift from productivity-centric to human-centric makes a well-supported, robust HR team even more critical to your organizations' sustainable success.

If you'd like support reducing stress and burnout for your organization including within your HR team contact us to learn more.