“If some companies are so efficient or innovative, it is because they have a somewhat special element: their staff… However, managing this staff is not an easy thing… The Human Resources function must therefore try to ‘make the best use of this somewhat special resource, men’: this is the definition of HR given by the Ministry of the Economy. For the Ministry of Labor, it is “to best mobilize the skills of its employees with a view to developing its competitiveness. This involves: identifying the rights and obligations in terms of social law, and informing employees of them; support the social, economic and environmental developments that affect organizations and adapt their HR management accordingly.
Between the two, my heart swings/I don’t know which of the two to love, says the nursery rhyme. Who wins between “resources” and “human”, between Bercy and Grenelle, between Bruno Le Maire and Catherine Vautrin? “Most of the HR managers I come across have a significant “human fiber””, responds Nicolas Merlaud, co-founder of Teale (mental health platform for employees and companies). However, 64% of HR personnel say they are in psychological distress (2022 Human Footprint Barometer and Opinion Way) and 56% expressed the wish to change jobs in the next twelve months (ten points more than in 2023, 2024 study by Robert Walters). For what ?
Over-solicited since the health crisis
Let’s start with the sketch of HR professionals. Please note that 84% are women, but paradoxically 64% of managerial positions are occupied by men. A population under 50 years of age in 70% of cases, 34% have had other positions, 47% have at least a 5-year diploma. Assistants and project managers earn less than 1,957 euros net/month, between 2,617 euros and 2,950 euros for human resources managers and 4,290 to 5,629 euros net/month for human resources directors (HR Culture, November 2023) who are 64%… directors (FoxRH 2023).
Their daily ? Office and email open for professional matters, but also for personal matters. “These profiles have a tendency to overcommit. When they do not receive recognition from their superiors in exchange, their self-confidence can then be broken,” analyzes Nicolas Merlaud, who believes that the evolution of the profession dates back to the health crisis. An opportunity for them to set up new organizations, particularly with teleworking, video, flexibility needs and all the regulations that go with it.
“Since then, this over-demand has never stopped. They also have a role as business partners, are in the strategy. They no longer rest.” Leaders ask them to constantly adapt, to do better with less budget, to be present for crisis management and to support transformations. “Some clients explain to me that they see people crying in their office or on video and that it is very hard for them to face these situations, because they are neither psychologists nor trained to experience these human tragedies,” confides the expert.
Mental Health
Furthermore, like managers, HR managers must respond to a double injunction: be present for employees and represent the employer. “You have to imagine their considerable mental and emotional burden when, for example, you have to manage a PSE (employment protection plan): who can the HR manager complain to? He often feels very alone,” notes Nicolas Merlaud who recommends different avenues.
Take care of yourself first to take care of others. Give yourself breaks and the necessary introspection. Use a trusted third party. “Sometimes it is either avoidance to combat negative thoughts, or on the contrary hyperactivity to compensate for them: adopting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based on thoughts, emotions and behavior is an interesting solution” . Identify irrational thoughts and replace them with “antidote” thoughts without forgetting that emotions like sadness are temporary and normal. There is relaxation, but there are also tools like the Eisenhower matrix to fight against anxiety.” Get support from a therapist. Dare to speak to the manager if things are not going well and if it is on the side of the employees , do not hesitate to procrastinate so as not to face everything. Finally, for Nicolas Merlaud, the real challenge for HR is to promote mental health: “acting in prevention would make it possible to reduce the frightening figures of unhappiness. And ultimately to strengthen individual and collective performance, as well as employee commitment.
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