As a person responsible for HR or benefits, you’re on the front lines, helping to take care of employees every day. You’re problem-solvers for tens, hundreds, or thousands of employees. You constantly give your mind, heart, and energy to create, innovate, and implement products and services to help your people thrive and grow.
And during the COVID-19 pandemic, your job has become more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. In part, that’s because 98% of organizations have expanded their benefits packages to help employees cope with the pandemic. Almost a third (32%) have increased their investment in mental health benefits. You’re handling the Great Resignation and now the Great Onboarding. Maybe you’re figuring out how to manage a safe return to the office or how to navigate hybrid work indefinitely.
Is it any wonder that you’re stressed out?
Who takes care of you? Who gives you the space to have a voice of your own? Who asks how you’ve been doing? Who worries about how you’ve been struggling through these chaotic times?
These are questions that we need to ask. And they’re ones that were recently raised during our Engage 2022 conference by Julie Turney, the founder of HR@Heart Consulting, the DisruptHR leader for the Caribbean, host of the HR Sound Off podcast, and author of Confessions of an HR Pro.
To address the stress that we all feel, Julie suggested five ways that HR and benefits professionals can improve their engagement.
1. Take collective mental health days
Julie observed, “The mental health and wellbeing of HR and benefits professionals are just as important as that of everyone else’s. You’re employees too. A lot of times we forget that the mechanisms we put in place to support the workplace can also support us and give us the help we need.”
One way she suggested that we take a break is by taking time for ourselves. Mental health days, she said, can help you reflect on yourself, unwind, destress, and help yourself heal. The best way to address mental health, she suggested, is collectively. When everyone takes a day off work, you won’t get emails or Slack messages in the wee hours and feel compelled to respond. In these moments, Julie suggested that colleagues should find ways to support each other, such as by going out for dinner or drinks or taking a yoga class. Whatever you choose, she said, “It’s important to find different ways we can take care of ourselves.”
2. Focus on employee recognition
HR tends to be good at recognizing and supporting the people they serve, but their own work often goes unrecognized. That’s a miss, according to Julie, because employees who are recognized are more likely to repeat positive actions and stay in their job.
So, Julie asked:
Julie recommended different ways that organizations can recognize their employees:
- Financial incentives (e.g., end-of-year bonuses, hiring commissions, etc.)
- Peer recognition (e.g., shoutouts during weekly calls or on social media, award nominations, etc.)
- Extra PTO
- Lunch or coffee for a job well done
- Professional development opportunities
3. Be transparent about career pathing
Many HR professionals feel stuck, according to Julie. “My clients often don’t feel like they’re being fulfilled in their careers. That happens when you don’t know what’s going to happen next or don’t know what to do next.”
She suggested that organizations need to be transparent about promotion and compensation opportunities for their HR teams. Setting measurable goals and timelines can improve employee retention. Julie asked, “If there isn’t room for upward movement, is there room for lateral movement? How can you help your team members find more meaning in their work and deepen their careers?”
