Is it too much to ask for? Yes, according to HR!
In a post-pandemic context in 2022, a survey conducted by Workvivo among more than 520 HR professionals in the United States and the U.K. regarding burnout in the HR department, revealed highly concerning results (Forbes, 2022).
As a result of workplace transformations and the Great Resignation, a staggering 98% of HR professionals experienced burnout, according to the survey.
The accumulation of tasks and responsibilities for HR professionals often turns their lives into a downward spiral. This phenomenon is further exacerbated by the expectation that HR managers are supposed to care for everyone. But who takes care of the HR manager?
The evolving work environment, the challenge of both recruiting and retaining talents, and the ever-expanding scope of responsibilities and more comprehensive job descriptions often put HR specialists in companies in a challenging position. When they are tasked with recruitment, negotiation, and collaboration with senior profiles, their role becomes even more stressful. Expectations are even higher when dealing with these senior positions, as is the investment made by the company to offer an attractive contract to the top manager in question.
ADM as a Facilitator
In these kinds of situations, ADM can play a pivotal role on three levels. First, by taking over the selection process of a CEO, CFO, or COO. Second, by ensuring the company an optimal return on investment: in the case of temporary missions, the understanding is quite clear. The interim manager remains in the organization as long as their presence justifies their utility. Once the mission is accomplished, both parties can part ways under optimal conditions and without any frustration. Third, ADM remains a crucial link between the company and the independent manager throughout the entire interim period. ADM will regularly evaluate the satisfaction of both companies and engaged managers and intervene as necessary to elevate the collaboration to an even higher level.
Control vs expectations
In his book ‘Leaders at Last,’ Simon Sinek, a British-American educator and author on management and motivation, states: “It is not the demands of the job that cause the most stress, but the degree of control workers feel they have throughout their day.” The feeling of ‘being lived’ or being absorbed in a spiral of demands and deadlines without any real sense of freedom weighs even more heavily in a digital world of continuous ‘live streaming.’ Those who can no longer maintain control over the constant influx of emails, WhatsApps, (online) meetings, … see no respite in sight, are more likely to succumb to the pressure. When we assess an interim manager’s suitability for successfully completing a mission at ADM, we engage with someone who may have a different perspective on control in their work. Because the mission is finite, it is much easier for them to maintain control over the temporary assignment and the expected results on one hand, and a balanced (personal) life on the other. This allows for setting higher standards. Flexibility and commitment are values with an expiration date, or at the very least, concepts that need to be regularly recharged.
In this respect, what we describe as “ADe-Manding” is also fairer and, above all, a concept that promotes individual development. “Our” interim managers are very grateful for this.
