The launch comes as new research paints a worrying picture of the profession’s wellbeing.
After nearly 20 years working in human resources, consultant and coach Karen Robinson, of KR 4 HR, is launching a specialist coaching service dedicated to supporting one of the most overlooked groups in the workplace: HR professionals themselves.
While HR teams are expected to care for the wellbeing of everyone else, many are quietly struggling under the weight of increasing workloads, complex employee relations issues, organisational change, toxic workplace cultures and constant emotional pressure.
The result is burnout, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and talented HR professionals questioning whether they can continue in a career they once loved.
The launch comes as new research paints a worrying picture of the profession’s wellbeing. According to research by Evolving HR and Ultimate Resilience, the profession is facing unprecedented levels of psychological strain:
- More than 95 per cent of HR professionals report struggling with stress and overwhelm.
- 90 per cent say they feel lonely and isolated in their role.
- 75 per cent have taken sickness absence in the last 12 months due to stress.
- 53 per cent feel under-appreciated by their organisation.
- 64 per cent want to leave their current employer.
- 42 per cent are considering leaving HR altogether.
- 74 per cent report symptoms of anxiety and depression – around 2.5 times higher than the general population.
- 87 per cent believe the support available to them is insufficient.
“HR professionals are expected to be resilient, impartial and endlessly supportive,” says Karen.
They’re often the people everyone turns to during redundancies, disciplinary hearings, grievances, safeguarding concerns, workplace conflict and organisational crises. Yet when they’re struggling themselves, there’s rarely anyone looking after them.
We’ve become incredibly good at talking about employee wellbeing, but we’ve forgotten about the people responsible for protecting everyone else’s wellbeing. HR professionals absorb the emotional impact of difficult conversations every single day, often without a safe space to process what they’re carrying. It’s no surprise that so many are exhausted.
The new coaching service offers confidential one-to-one coaching designed specifically for HR professionals, helping them rebuild confidence, strengthen resilience, establish healthy boundaries and reconnect with their professional identity.
The question I hear repeatedly is, “Who supports HR?” For too long, the answer has been “No one”. My mission is to change that.
The service is aimed at HR advisors, business partners, managers and directors across the UK who are feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained or simply need an independent, confidential space to think, reflect and grow.
Karen believes that organisations also have a responsibility to recognise the emotional demands placed on HR.
If organisations genuinely want healthy workplaces, they must start by supporting the people who spend every day supporting everyone else. Looking after HR isn’t a luxury, it’s fundamental to building resilient organisations.
Karen is an experienced HR consultant, coach and non-executive director with nearly 20 years’ experience supporting organisations, leaders and HR professionals. She specialises in helping these professionals recover from burnout, rebuild confidence and rediscover their sense of purpose through one-to-one coaching, peer networking and reflective supervision.