When People Management published its recent piece, Does HR Need a Helping Hand?, my first reaction was simple. Of course HR needs support, the data is unambiguous, the pressures are increasing, and the emotional load on people professionals is heavier than ever.
But the more I read, the more I noticed myself feeling uncomfortable.
The article recognises the scale of the problem, but its phrasing; ‘helping hand’, ‘switching off’, ‘setting boundaries’, left me uneasy. Not because these things aren’t important, but because, in my experience, they fundamentally misunderstand the issue.
Giving HR a helping hand implies a temporary lift related to something they are struggling with. There are implications of a gap or a weakness to be filled by another, which simply doesn’t resonate with my experience.
HR may be weakened but it’s not staffed by leaders and teams who are weak. This is a question of having the right tools and strategy to navigate an incredibly complex and changing reality. And it’s a reality that is far from temporary. It’s systemic and the world HR is navigating is not about to calm down.
It’s time to recognise the overload
HR isn’t weak, it’s carrying an overwhelming load and it’s time for business leaders to recognise that.
The article cites research from Intoo, showing that 74% of HR professionals are under significantly more pressure than three years ago. It also highlights Lattice data stating 28% feel they are consistently in crisis mode, and that 34% have considered leaving the profession. None of this will surprise anyone working in HR today.
Nor will the reminder that much of this stress comes from core, unavoidable parts of the role. To quote:
- “The emotional toll of managing employee issues… conflicts… mental health… harassment…”
- “An acceleration of new and expanding responsibilities… without matching support.”
- “Increased scrutiny… higher stakes… reduced work–life balance.”
This is why the question “Does HR need a helping hand?” misses the mark entirely. HR doesn’t need a pat on the back or a temporary support mechanism, it needs organisations to step up and provide the kind of structured, ongoing resilience-building that other people professions have relied on for years.
Coaches have supervision. Therapists have supervision. Social workers have supervision. Psychologists have supervision. Academics have supervision.
HR is arguably the profession with the most complex blend of emotional, ethical, legal and interpersonal responsibility and it has nothing even close to equivalent.
The solution is supervision
The article ends by touching on the real answer and, indeed, the answer that we at Mind Values Leadership have been working on for some months.
Nicolas Kourilsky, Chief HR Officer at PayFit, notes that “improving interpersonal connections and communication can go a long way to ease the workload.”
Vice President of People at Lattice, Sophie Hurcombe, adds that leaders must “review how they’re protecting the wellbeing of their people teams,” and that “resilience starts with examining the scope of roles and ensuring additional responsibilities aren’t piled onto already full workloads.”
Those final paragraphs come closest to the truth: HR doesn’t need a helping hand. HR needs a healthy, protected space to process its experiences, connect authentically, regulate emotions, and build resilience that lasts.
This is about investing in a system of ongoing support, not implementing a crisis intervention and it’s exactly where the thinking behind The HR Space came from.
Our year-long, expertly facilitated supervision programme is the first to be designed specifically for senior HR leaders.
It’s a Safe Place for Authentic Connection and Exploration (yes, that’s what SPACE stands for) and provides an opportunity for HR leaders to decompress, reflect, and replenish so they can continue doing the work that holds whole organisations together.
Instead of being simply a ‘helping hand’, this is a way to strengthen the foundations of the function that hold us all together. It focuses on prevention, not cure.
And, most importantly, it’s about giving HR leaders the tools, community, and reflective space they’ve been denied for too long.
If you’d like to know more, visit The HR Space or book a call with me.