Around 80% of HR professionals have observed a surge in employee burnout, with 37% citing a “major increase”, according to a new study.
The heavy toll of a prolonged pandemic has resulted in high employee burnout and staff turnover rates, according to the latest collaborative survey from MindEdge Learning and the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). The online survey, HR in the Age of Workplace Uncertainty, of HRCI-certified HR professionals in the US, found that many organisations recognise the need to reduce stress and counteract burnout in their employees. Around 62% of HR profressionals said their organisations have already introduced workplace benefits to reduce stress, or plan to do so. This figure represents a 9% increase from 2020’s survey findings. That said, 38% say their organisations have not taken any steps to address the burnout issue.
Employee turnover is also a significant concern for many HR professionals. A majority (54%) of respondents indicate that turnover is higher than pre-pandemic (with only 8% claiming that turnover is lower). This issue was second-highest among respondents’ potential concerns about reopening their workplaces: one-in-five (19%) say their top concern about reopening is that “employee turnover may be very high.”
At the time of the survey, 51% of respondents’ organisations had already reopened, and 34% report that they had never closed. Among the 15% that had not yet reopened, 50% of respondents were still unsure of when they would return to in-person work.
FLEXIBLE WORK OPTIONS
The pandemic has ushered in a new era of flexible work arrangements, forcing a large majority of organisations to implement hybrid work arrangements to either offer fully or partially remote work structures. This trend may continue into the future, according to the study. Around 63% of respondents say their organisations instituted a remote work programme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic; while more than a quarter (26%) already had a remote work programme in place before the pandemic. Only 10% of HR professionals said organisations do not have a remote programme at all.
Looking to the future, organisations are divided on whether they will require employees to return to the office. Among organisations that have already reopened, only two-of-five (43%) are requiring employees to return to the office full-time; while 50% are offering remote options. Among those that have not yet reopened, only 25% of respondents say that all employees will have to return to in-person work.
HYBRID WORK ARRANGEMENTS
Among organisations that have already reopened, 78% of HR professionals say their organisations have instituted a hybrid work schedule for at least some employees; including 21% who have placed all employees on a hybrid schedule. Hybrid work arrangements are most common in the financial services (92%) and technology (85%) sectors; they are less prevalent in education (72%) and retail (65%). Typical work arrangements reported among organisations that have implemented hybrid work models indicate that employees work, on average, two to three days per week in the office.
“These results indicate that both companies and employees need to be agile and prepared for diversified work structures,” stated Frank Connolly, Director of Communications and Research at MindEdge Learning. “The pandemic has fundamentally shifted the way that the world views the workplace. That’s why businesses need to be adaptable as work models evolve.”
WORKPLACE SAFETY CONCERNS
Workplace safety and concerns about the Delta variant continue as workplaces reopen. HR professionals say they are most concerned about their employees’ physical wellbeing; 38% say their top concern about reopening is that employee health and safety may be at risk. High turnover is second on the list of concerns, at 19%.
Concerns about health and safety are most prevalent in the financial services (53%), education (46%), and retail (43%) sectors. By contrast, high turnover is the top concern in the manufacturing (36%) sector. The surging Delta variant has forced many businesses to scramble, as 36% of respondents say that the Delta surge affected their organidations’ plans to reopen. The Delta variant has had the greatest impact on reopening plans in the West (43%) and Northeast (40%).
Despite the threat posed by the Delta variant, the vast majority of survey respondents say they felt safe to return to in-person work. Among those who work at organisations that have already reopened, 81% say they felt safe when they returned to the office. For organisations that have remained closed, only 21% say they are concerned about having to return to the office before they feel it is safe to do so.
Employers have instituted safety measures to help protect in-person employees or are planning to do so. The most commonly implemented safety measures are mandatory masks (73%), limiting the number of people in conference rooms (72%) and mandatory social distancing (69%).
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION CHALLENGES
Remote recruiting and hiring remains a challenge, confirmed the study. A majority (52%) of respondents say their organisations are currently hiring at a faster rate than before the pandemic; only 13% say they are hiring at a slower rate than before, or not hiring at all. Respondents in the healthcare (63%) and manufacturing (63%) sectors are most likely to report that their organisations are hiring at an increased rate.
Around 89% of HR professionals shared they are conducting HR functions remotely at least some of the time, including 33% who do so “all of the time“. Interviewing candidates remotely is an almost universal practice, with 92% of respondents saying they conduct remote interviews at least some of the time. Another 79% indicate they are onboarding new employees remotely at least some of the time.
REMOTE HR CHALLENGES
Still, many respondents are finding aspects of “remote HR” to be challenging. Among respondents whose organisations are hiring, 66% say that recruiting is harder than before the pandemic. Another 40% say that they find remote onboarding to be harder than in-person onboarding. The only exception to this general pattern is remote interviewing; 64% of respondents say that remote interviews are at least as productive as in-person interviews, including 22% who say they are “more productive”.
“HR professionals continue to face challenges to traditional HR functions, including revamping workplace structures,” said Dr Amy Dufrane, CEO of HRCI. “Online access to learning programmes and certifications provides the additional support and guidance to adapt and upskill while growing their HR careers.”
Many employers have never trained employees how to work remotely. According to a recent report by McKinsey & Company, skills training and professional development have surged during the pandemic. But ironically, this surge has not included training in how to work remotely; fully 61% of respondents say their organisations have not offered their employees any remote-work training. This figure is actually up slightly from last year’s report (57%). Around three in 10 (28%) respondents say their organisations offer training in remote work to all employees. Another 11% say that remote-work training is available to managers and above. Click here to download the full report.
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