The pandemic has made the already challenging job of being a human resource professional even tougher. Over the course of the past year and half, HR professionals have had to quickly develop ways to adapt how they conduct essential business functions. Many of them shifted to offside or hybrid work arrangements, furloughed and laid off employees — then rehired them in a highly competitive job market — redesigned workflows and staffing plans, managed remote open enrollments and lived in a constantly changing environment both at work and at home.
All of this stress is taking a toll on HR professionals. A recent report, the 2021 Pulse of HR Report, which gathered data from 1,000 U.S. HR professionals, found that 98% of HR leaders said the pandemic has transformed their role and 70% said that this past year has been one of the most stressful of their careers. Another report found that 77.3% of HR professionals surveyed reported experiencing burnout during the pandemic, an increase from 59.6% in February 2020.
