• Replies 33 replies
  • Subscribers 20 subscribers
  • Views 22067 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

How are you all doing?

Steve Bridger

The tweet below prompted me to ask this question. You are so busy. You may be feeling undervalued.  

It has been two years since Samantha asked this question, which generated a wonderfully open and supportive conversation days before the first lockdown.

 Are any other HR people feeling a bit lonely in all this :( 

So much has happened since then and while in some ways the pandemic accelerated a pre-exisiting direction of travel with regards remote working and technology, so much was new - not least 'furlough', which we were all talking about here. But there have also been deep structural changes and challenges - for example, in recruitment and retention. Now many of you are considering how you can support employees through the cost-of-living crisis. 

Amid all this, we need to look after ourselves and support one another - our peers. 

So... how are you doing?

  _

Parents

  • Hi Steve,

    I think I will probably echo what others have said.... I am deeply weary from the last two plus years. On the upside, we have been able to make changes in our business that we would have struggled to do previously like hybrid working, drive better teamwork and understanding of each other. On the other hand, it has been utterly constant in pressure, stress and dealing with the constantly changing world that we are in and as we know finding time to look after ourselves whilst looking after everyone else is seriously hard work and it is draining especially in a standalone HR role and that is even with the best boss!

    Whilst I love what I do and the people I work with, I cant envisage doing this for many more months or years and I think I am probably not alone in the people profession.

    Rachel

Reply

  • Hi Steve,

    I think I will probably echo what others have said.... I am deeply weary from the last two plus years. On the upside, we have been able to make changes in our business that we would have struggled to do previously like hybrid working, drive better teamwork and understanding of each other. On the other hand, it has been utterly constant in pressure, stress and dealing with the constantly changing world that we are in and as we know finding time to look after ourselves whilst looking after everyone else is seriously hard work and it is draining especially in a standalone HR role and that is even with the best boss!

    Whilst I love what I do and the people I work with, I cant envisage doing this for many more months or years and I think I am probably not alone in the people profession.

    Rachel

Children
  • in reply to Rachel
    I think there are lots of us feeling a similar way- and I can fully empathise with Emma, having been given (constructive) feedback about my "readable" face! (There go my plans for an alternative career as a crack poker player.....)
    Like everyone else I am tired! Like many others I have worked longer hours whilst WFH and carried forward 15 days holiday for the past 2 years. For whatever reason (Covid, lockdown, cost of living, heat) people in general are getting more needy and generally anxious and I guess many of us feel guilty at not being able to make life better for them. I enjoy my job - I like the different component parts and the challenges and the people I work with - but more and more I wonder if this level of work is really sustainable or what I want to do. I have a good supportive manager but he can't always shield his team from the increasing demands made on us, both by external forces and constant internal changes. I think "flat" describes it well - not depressed or miserable or even unhappy - just "getting on with it"
  • in reply to Helen
    This thread has really impacted me. Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts so far.

    So pleased we have this space where people feel they can open up to their peers. We've been talking about this within CIPD, too. We're listening and very mindful of the 'pulse' of the profession.

    Colleagues here tell me that this broad sentiment on the wellbeing of the profession is reflected elsewhere.
  • in reply to Rachel
    Completely resonate with your last paragraph Rachel. At 53 I’m pretty exhausted by it all but wondering what the alternatives for me are. Great to hear about your positives, HR has so much potential to have an impact.