Human-resource leaders at enterprise companies are expected to tend to the concerns of a large internal workforce while recruiting, screening, and hiring top-tier talent.
The workload has HR leaders reporting high levels of stress. Workvivo, a workplace-communication platform, surveyed more than 520 HR professionals in the US and the UK in 2022, and 98% of them reported feeling burned out within the past six months.
We asked three HR experts for their advice on how their peers can manage the pressure of hiring top talent and how businesses can better support their HR staff.
Navigating the challenges of attracting talent at a large company
The role of an HR professional at a large company comes with unique challenges. Francesca Peters, the chief talent officer at International Workplace Group, said the hiring process, which varies across industries and positions, has evolved in recent years.
“While technology and automation help to expedite the application and interview process, HR managers also have to contend with skill shortages and gaps,” she said. “Also, the rise of hybrid work has made it possible to attract talent from a wider geographic pool, which means screening more applicants.”
Peters also said that HR professionals must balance the need to be deliberate and thoughtful with hiring without overextending the hiring timeline. Hiring delays mean that employees currently helping fill vacancies can quickly become overworked and burned out, so companies need to incorporate strategies that streamline the hiring process, Peters said.
“Finding top talent can be challenging in the current climate, making it vital to proactively manage these pressures by creating an efficient and effective recruitment process that aligns with the organization’s strategic goals,” she told Business Insider. “Examples include strategic workforce planning and anticipating talent needs within the company, strong talent pipelines and referral programs, and leaning on technology to streamline the recruitment process.”
How HR leaders can avoid burnout — with the help of their companies
Jenny Maenpaa, the founder of the career coaching consultancy Forward in Heels, said that HR leaders should start by advocating for more breathing room in their daily schedules and communicating the need for uninterrupted time during the hiring process.
“Breathing room can be figurative, like having a companywide policy of not scheduling back-to-back meetings or meetings both starting and ending on time,” she said. “Breathing room can also be literal by creating a wellness room or a designated time during the day to be away from your desk that’s on everyone’s calendars.”
HR leaders can also create a comprehensive and collaborative hiring plan across departments and keep tabs on key talent in their field, which can streamline the hiring process.
“To help lessen the pressure of hiring top talent, HR executives and departments must work very closely with the specific teams that are looking to make the hire to ensure clarity on needs and to align expectations,” Peters said. “I also encourage my recruiting teams to have a pipeline of possible talent who match our company culture before roles become available.”
Companies can also create an environment where HR leaders can take PTO without feeling guilty or worried, which can be achieved through mandatory PTO policies and creating systems that prepare colleagues for their absences. Most importantly, companies must be respectful of their HR professionals’ time off by honoring “out of office” messages.
Workplaces can better support their HR staff
Company leadership can also create a better environment for HR staff during a high-stakes hiring process, which often takes their attention away from other tasks.
“Hiring top talent takes a lot of time and effort,” Maenapaa said. “Workplaces can reduce surprise meetings so that HR staff can plan their days effectively and send meeting invitations with an agenda or topic of discussion to streamline meetings.”
Companies can also encourage flexible work schedules or implement a hybrid-work environment to allow HR to devote uninterrupted time to the hiring process.
“Hybrid working has stood out in its ability to give employees choice and freedom, which should extend to HR leaders,” Peters said. “Not only does the hybrid-working model serve as an effective recruiting and retention tool, but it also supports current employees by increasing productivity, work-life balance, and overall employee happiness.”
If companies are unwilling to offer more support to their HR staff, the cost of HR burnout can have a trickle-down effect that negatively impacts the entire workforce.
“As with any position, but perhaps to an even greater extent in HR, burnout and turnover is costly,” said Tim Taylor, the cofounder and president of America Succeeds, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing work readiness in public-education systems.
“Hidden and direct costs include lost productivity of the HR team and the organization,” he said. “Burnout can also slow the hiring cycle, disrupt the onboarding process, and impact an organization’s ability to acquire and develop new talent. Organizations need to recognize the cost of HR burnout and its compounding effect across the company to take the crucial steps to prevent and address it.”
