Burnout strikes 7 in 10 HR professionals once a month

Some even experience it once a week.

Professionals in the human resources (HR) industry have been feeling the heat of the economic downturn as many companies undergo organisational changes. 

According to a study by Intellect and Milieu Insight, seven in 10 HR professionals have been struck by burnout at least once a month, with some (41%) experiencing it once a week.

Apart from burnout, HR professionals are also seeing worsening mental health, with 41% rating theirs as “fair,” “poor,” “very poor,” and “extremely poor.”

Many of those who are seeing deteriorating mental health or have experienced burnout also do not have access to the necessary tools to combat this emotional fallout.

Whilst 51% of HR professionals say their employer provides them with mental health resources, less than half (44%) are satisfied with these. 

Only a few (32%) of HR respondents also believe their company gives high or very high importance to employee mental health. 

“While numerous factors have contributed to burnout and fatigue among the workforce - including financial and geopolitical uncertainties, Covid-19, and a potential global recession on the horizon - the glamourisation of productivity and the ‘rise and grind’ mentality has taken its toll on the region’s workforce - especially HR teams and younger employees,”  Milieu Insight said.

“The results are telling – businesses must expand mental well-being support to HR teams to ensure they can become strategic partners tasked with taking care of employees and ensuring they remain engaged. An empowered HR workforce is more likely to realise their full potential at work and bring greater value to their team,” Oliver Suendermann, Vice President, Clinical, of Intellect, added.