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Half of HR report burnout, wanting renewed job focus

A third (32%) of HR professionals indicated that the demand on their jobs would increase over the next five years

More than half (52%) of HR professionals in the UK have experienced burnout in the past five years, while 34% reported thinking about leaving the industry in the next year, research from HR software business Personio has revealed.

Four in 10 (38%) HR professionals believe that they have an excessive workload, the survey of 500 HR professionals published yesterday (14 January) showed, and 41% reported that they spend the majority of their time on admin every week.

The survey findings showed that HR professionals want to focus more on the non-administrative aspects of their role: 55% want to focus more on improving company culture, and 58% want to better supporting the learning and development of employees.

Meanwhile, 45% of employees indicated wanting to work more with senior leadership on HR and business strategy.

“In 2025, HR is at an inflection point," Max Specht, Personio's workplace trends expert, told HR magazine.

"People professionals are caught between their strategic potential and the unfortunate reality of overwhelming administrative work.

"We know that true job satisfaction comes from designing and delivering success, not just managing processes or keeping things working. The most satisfied and energised HR professionals are the ones who have successfully made that leap."


Read more: HR ready to jump ship amid C-suite disputes


Personio's research team also found that 38% of HR professionals thought that employees had become more demanding of HR. A third (32%) thought that this demand would increase over the next five years.

Increased demands are due to the prevalence of overtime culture and its impact on employees, according to Tanya Channing, chief people and culture officer at CRM software company Pipedrive. 

Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “It’s no surprise that HR is feeling the strain. Overtime culture doesn’t just affect one set of employees, it places added pressure on HR to address burnout, declining productivity, and unmet KPIs. 

“When workers struggle to balance long hours with performance, HR faces increased workloads, managing disengagement and turnover. This cycle contributes to the excessive workloads HR professionals already experience.”

HR professionals should use data to convince senior leadership of the need to focus on other aspects of their role, Specht suggested.

He said: "To go from managing admin to making a difference, HR needs to focus on what they do best.

"With 55% of HR professionals wanting to focus more on culture, data-backed conversations with leadership about how culture connects to business success can drive that conversation."

HR leaders could be looking for a new role due to increasing tension between the C-suite and employees, research by financial adviser Octopus Money in October 2024 suggested.


Read more: CPO falls off fastest-growing jobs list


Separately, nearly three quarters (71%) of HR professionals indicated they had not received enough training and support to tackle the increasing demands of their role, a survey by recruitment firm Michael Page in March 2024 showed.

Channing recommended that HR professionals use technology to allow them to spend more time on cultural change.

She continued: “HR must break this cycle by championing smarter work practices and harnessing AI. Speaking to their tech team, HR can discover how to leverage technology to redesign roles, reduce administrative burdens and improve work-life balance. 

“By driving cultural change and promoting effective work strategies, HR can not only alleviate their own pressures but also support employees in achieving better outcomes without sacrificing wellbeing.”

Personio representatives commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 HR professionals in the UK between 18 and 28 October 2024. They also surveyed 253 UK employees at senior management level or above. The companies surveyed had between 10 and 2,000 employees each.