New research by Culture Amp highlights pressing challenges faced by HR teams globally and in the UK.
- HR professionals are struggling with well-being and work-life balance as the demand to do ‘more with less’ persists.
- In the UK, only 36% of HR professionals feel equipped to balance organisational needs, lower than global trends.
- There has been a decline in perceived resilience among global HR practitioners from 46% in 2022 to 45% in 2024.
- Despite challenges, six in ten HR professionals globally continue to believe they make a positive impact.
The latest data from Culture Amp’s research illustrates substantial challenges faced by HR teams in 2024. With the evolving ‘do more with less’ agenda, HR professionals worldwide are grappling with issues surrounding well-being and work-life balance. The pressure is particularly felt in the UK, where only a mere 36% of HR practitioners expressed confidence in their ability to serve the needs of their organisations adequately. This figure sits below the global average, indicating a worrying trend when compared to previous years, including the pandemic periods of 2020 and 2021.
While globally, HR practitioners showed an 11% increase in perceived resilience from 2022 to 2023, the research noted a puzzling decline to 45% in 2024. This downturn suggests that the demands on HR teams remain unchecked, contrary to expectations that their role in crisis management might have diminished post-pandemic. Intriguingly, UK HR professionals resisted this global trend by showcasing a noteworthy rise in resilience levels—from 58% in 2023 to 64% in 2024—highlighting regional variations in response to similar challenges.
Furthermore, the study highlighted that under half of the professionals surveyed claim to effectively ‘switch off’ from work to rest, with the UK demonstrating lower stress management effectiveness. Despite these challenges, a high percentage (73%) of UK HR professionals report feeling adequately supported by peers, although the overall employee experience for HR roles continues to lag behind global benchmarks for other management professions.
In light of ongoing difficulties, an underlying optimism persists within the HR community. Nearly 60% of HR practitioners globally maintain that they contribute positively to their organisations. As Arne Sjőstrőm, Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp noted, HR professionals are caught in a demanding environment, balancing limited resources against increasing expectations. He emphasised the critical need for organisations to support HR teams to foster better work environments, employee engagement, and productivity.
In summary, while HR professionals face rising demands and challenges, their commitment to positive organisational impact remains steadfast.
