Taking care of the caring teams: the case of Human Resources teams
In organizational contexts, there is usually a team responsible for thinking, accompanying and caring for people: the Human Resources (HR) team. This team is often the gateway to the business world and remains as a reference to which support is needed or when something is not going well (either on the part of those who arrive or on the part of those who receive a new colleague), which gives it a latent and permanent emotional role.
Between the organization and the people: the desired balance
In their daily lives, HR teams face the current pressure associated with the demand and, above all, with the retention of talent, which forces them to assume not only the bastion of promoting company culture, but also to manage the “shards” of more toxic bosses or less cohesive teams. They are often called upon to intervene in conflict management, with the requirement to understand, listen to and mediate situations between colleagues or between collaborators and their managers, and must actively listen to both parties, fulfilling the dual role of defending the organization's interests while acting as support for employees in difficulty. In fact, the great role of Human Resources is precisely this: to balance organization and people, seeking to respond to the needs of each and to generate sustainable results for both, remaining a credible and reliable team for everyone involved.
Inherent conflict management often involves dealing with grievances, complaints, feelings of injustice, frustration, or loss that gives rise to emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, or insecurity. Emotions that also need to be managed by those who follow these processes. There is also the challenge of dealing with sensitive information in a cautious and professional manner, without compromising organizational decisions. Not infrequently, these teams have (or consider having) low final decision-making power, acting more as management advisors than as decision-makers, facing pressure to defend people's programs and justify budgets in a context of limited resources. Although it is evidence that an effective people management strategy contributes to better organizational results, professionals in this area are almost always called upon to demonstrate that measures aimed at people are also good for business.
In addition to all these challenges, there is currently a need for organizations to adapt to the impact of Artificial Intelligence. This transformation implies not only supporting the development of new skills (Reskilling And upskilling), but also the reorganization of roles and teams, the management of change processes, dealing with uncertainty and, at times, managing the elimination of functions, increasing pressure, ethical complexity, and the emotional impact of the area.
The emotional impact of the function
HR teams can thus face very real problems with an impact on their mental health: compassionate fatigue, stress, anxiety, burnout, moral stress associated with ethical dilemmas, carrying out tasks with which they do not agree, or greater difficulty disconnecting from work.
O 2026 State of People Strategy Report (Lattice) presents the results of a survey conducted with 1,002 HR professionals between April 2 and June 5, 2025, covering different sectors of activity, organizations of various dimensions and diverse geographical areas (predominantly the USA and Europe). The report indicates that about 41% of HR professionals considered leaving the area in the 12 months prior to the study, identifying as the main factor the emotional impact of dealing with the problems of other employees, as well as the feeling of devaluation and “being ignored” in the organization. Even so, 32% of people who considered leaving report finding motivation in the opportunity to help others grow and develop, to have a positive influence on their colleagues and the fact that they are recognized as “trusted advisors”, which demonstrates the importance of purpose for these professionals.
Caring for those who care: a human and strategic decision
A frequent paradox falls on these teams: they are responsible for the well-being, development and support of employees, but they are rarely included in their own initiatives or have someone who can fulfill that same role for themselves; they are usually responsible for ensuring organizational culture and are also the first to provide support and mediate situations with an impact on mental health (we can think, for example, of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic). Because of their role as “caregivers of the organization”, it is worth considering concrete measures that promote self-care, that provide these teams with emotional management skills, that allow them to define healthy limits of action and create spaces where they can openly share their concerns. After all, how can a team take proper care if they don't have a safe place themselves?
In this sense, it may be useful to consider external supervision or intervision solutions (with regular spaces for reflection on practice), it may be relevant to implement role clarification measures, symbolic and strategic recognition before the organization and promote its effective inclusion in welfare programs. At the leadership level, it is equally important to understand when these teams may be being “instrumented”, acting as a management “shield”, and to validate the emotional impact associated with difficult decisions.
The signs of wear and tear may be evident: growing cynicism, difficulty empathizing, depersonalization, tiredness - translated into greater turnover, absenteeism, and a team that is more reactive than creative, less available and less strategic. The consequences for the organization may include the deterioration of the climate and culture, increased conflict, loss of sensitivity in decisions, greater defensiveness, and loss of credibility of the HR team. Taking care of the Human Resources team is, therefore, a human decision and also a strategic decision for the promotion of a truly healthy organization.