The research is in: HR is burned out. Not that we needed the media to tell us that. Eighteen months of serving as caretakers to ourselves, our families, and our organizations is starting to take a toll on our collective well-being.
This burnout story from an HR.Hackathon Alliance community member illustrates what many are experiencing right now:
“I had too much on my plate along with the return to the office and an uptick in Delta variant and in-office cases. Employees are looking for concrete answers in a very gray space right now. The fatigue and anxiety of many of these factors has led to HR shouldering much more than ever before all while still supporting a business that has a record number of job openings and a completely different landscape than just 12 months ago!”
No more! Meet #HRvsBurnout.
We wanted to help with what we know best – using design thinking to ideate our way out of a complex problem like this. More than 50 community members registered for our #HRvsBurnout virtual hackathon in early September and left “energized” and “refreshed” after gaining empathy and ideating with peers: “I enjoyed brainstorming with likeminded people. HR professionals put so much pressure on themselves because we care so much about people and the business. It’s important to take time to care about ourselves and lessen the pressure we put on ourselves. I commit to share my priorities with others and empower others to get them done!”
Participants surfaced three key drivers that contribute to burnout in Human Resources: 1) Competing Priorities 2) Navigating Uncertainty 3) Organizational Fatigue.
These are the ideas community members shared during the hackathon, via social media using #HRvsBurnout, or through our anonymous survey.
Competing Priorities
It seems as though every day sees new priorities that Human Resources needs to sort through - from emerging pandemic regulations to designing a hybrid work strategy, to fielding questions from distressed employees and concerned leaders.
Here are the community’s crowdsourced tips on how to manage the sheer increase in workload and additional emotional demands while retaining your sanity:
Start by centering yourself through self-care: “I got off most of my social media platforms. Needing to quiet the noise was mandatory! Also, staying consistent with my therapist and being more transparent with my friends about what I need.”
Take control of your calendar by blocking time to focus and to unplug.
Acknowledge that you are one person and can only accomplish so much. Every day, focus on the small wins and identify the one thing you can accomplish. Keep track of what is not going to get done.
Proactively establish key priorities and timelines with your team and customers – review weekly and, if needed, re-negotiate timelines. Keep short-term goals and don’t commit too far into the future.
As an HR leader, empathetically guide your team through this process: “I honor the team's late starts, early departures with no question. It's always been this way. I believe in working with fully formed adults who can govern themselves accordingly.”
Navigating the Unknown
These are unprecedented times. The old HR rule book does not apply anymore. There are no leading practices we can follow. Time to embrace a growth mindset and agile practices.
These are the community’s tips for how to navigate the unknown:
Every morning, acknowledge that not knowing is ok. Let go of what you can't control. Then, identify 1-3 things you are certain about.
Keep learning: network with other HR professionals to share information and stay current on the latest research by reading articles and attending webinars.
Immerse yourself in empathy to keep a pulse on how others are coping.
Get inspired by working with a consultant, benchmarking other organizations, and tapping into insights from analogous past experiences.
Organizational Fatigue
The ongoing pandemic and its every day disruptions are starting to cause leadership decision fatigue and employee change resistance.
The community has tips for how Human Resources professionals can stay empathetic in the face of emotional turmoil:
Set expectations: “This is an evolving situation, and we are learning together.” Be transparent on why decisions are made and support manager communication.
Establish a cross-functional committee of ambassadors to build shared responsibility.
Communicate with empathy: Notify employees as early as you can, so they have time to react to changes. Acknowledge how hard things can feel. Offer support on an individual basis to those who are feeling isolated.
Focus on the positive: Celebrate small wins and articulate opportunities.
Got more ideas or experimented with the above? Keep sharing with #HRvsBurnout and let’s tackle this together!