34% of HR professionals are contemplating leaving the sector within the next year as the majority have experienced burnout (research by Personio, involving 500 HR professionals from companies with between 10 and 2,000 employees

54%  of HR professionals experienced burnout in the past five years, with 43% of senior leaders identifying burnout as a significant challenge within HR teams.

The danger of course is a talent gap in HR! HR professionals have been at the forefront of steering through unprecedented challenges over the last few years including the pandemic, hybrid work and evolving employee expectations.

Excessive workloads and rising demands

The research highlights the immense pressure placed on HR teams 38% saying their workload feels overwhelming. A similar amount said they spend the majority of their time on managing administrative duties, which adds to their stress.

These figures are similar in other reports such as  The Burnout Report 2024 by charity Mental Health UK, and Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report.

It is so important to manage work-life boundaries to mitigate burnout and ensure that HR professionals having good stress management techniques in place.

Challenging responsibilities add to the strain

The Personio survey also revealed that 38% of HR professionals felt employees had become more demanding of their teams and worryingly many believed their responsibilities would increase further over the next five years.

A call for action

HR professionals must set clear boundaries for their availability, especially in hybrid working situations. Investing in mental health support, HR supervision and professional development opportunities are very important.

In order to create a healthier workforce environment for HR teams  a multi-layered approach that addresses both individual wellbeing and systemic organisational stressors should be taken.  Psychological safety where employees should feel safe expressing concerns without fear of judgement or negative consequences is also key. Leaders can foster this by actively listening to feedback, validating emotional challenges and encouraging open conversations around wellbeing and struggles.