In the past year, 86% of HR professionals have either started a new job or have been looking for a new job, a survey of over 500 HR leaders in partnership with HR Ninjas has revealed. Studies show this is a global trend, and with data showing that South Africa is the second most stressed-out country in the world, it raises cause for alarm.“There is a real crisis happening amongst the HR community,” says Lauren Berkemeyer, Chief Marketing Officer at YuLife. “There is a lot of discussion about the dissatisfaction amongst employees – but not the fact that the teams at the frontline are stressed, and struggling themselves. HR leaders need to put their own oxygen masks on first, before they can begin to address wider workforce problems.”The survey showed 43% of HR professionals are considering changing jobs within the next 12 months, with only 25% saying it is not likely at all they will consider changing jobs within this timeframe.“This aligns to what we see anecdotally in the Ninjas HR forum where unmanageable workloads, lack of support from business leadership and burnout are factors that are discussed regularly,” says Lizzie Henson, founder of HR Ninjas. “A stand-out figure is the increased instance of stress.”The HR community has been dealing with a torrent of people challenges over the past few years – the pandemic, the great resignation, the financial crisis – and the cracks are showing with 90% of HR professionals saying their workplace is either stressful or slightly stressful. With only 12% who say their workplace actively assists in preventing and managing stress. The perfect storm“There are many factors at play here,” says Lizzie. “High employment and a record number of unfilled jobs means that there are significant opportunities for switching companies. Both push and pull factors need to be considered. Pull: Higher rates of pay are often available from companies struggling to hire (albeit this varies by geography). This is particularly attractive at a time of rapidly increasing cost of living. Push: Dissatisfaction with current employers also still plays into the mix. In my opinion, the factors that led to 'The Great Resignation' still exist and there is no reason to believe that it will end any time soon.”So, what’s the solution? “It once again demonstrates how critical it is to get our employee value propositions right around working practices,” says Lizzie. “This is only going to become more of an issue as the younger workforce progress through their careers (and new generations join the talent pool). Despite this clear trend, on the HR Ninjas jobs board, we still see many roles with little or no mention of working practices.”Nearly all (97%) of the HR professionals surveyed agree that high employee turnover can have a negative impact on productivity and morale at work. The results reflect the YouGov x YuLife employee survey, where 89% of employees said that they believed employee turnover could impact workplace culture. Everyone agrees there’s a problem – the question is, where does the problem stem from? HR professionals believe the problem is:88% poor management69% lack of recognition & lack of growth opportunities34% unsatisfactory benefitsWhat’s the conclusion?“HR leaders are clued in – they know there’s a lot of stress on employees, and they also know how to create cultures of care. But how many are practising what they preach?” asks Lauren. “Are staff using the employee benefits themselves? Employers need to ensure they’re providing meaningful support for their people leaders in what is a very stressful time.“But what we also see is how the solution should come long before the point of resignation. This isn’t simply a matter of finding more money for pay rises: it’s about building a compassionate culture and supportive community. It starts with hiring the right cultural fits, and then looking after them proactively in terms of mental and physical wellbeing. It’s about finding the best way to engage your people on a daily basis. It’s all easier said than done, but there’s hope in these figures too.”For Lizzie, the generational message is an important one. “Everyone wants flexible working – but there is a clear generational influence where younger workers say it is even more important to them. This suggests that the mobility talent challenge is here to stay. In fact, as the younger workforce progress through their careers and the next generation joins the talent pool, this, I believe, is going to become an even more critical factor.”Are you a HR leader? Tag us on Linkedin @YuLifeSouthAfrica #YuLifeSurvey to tell us your thoughts. Download the full report here.About HR Ninjas The HR Survey was conducted by HR Ninjas in April, with 537 HR professionals respondents. HR Ninjas is a free online HR community, founded by Lizzie Henson. It supports HR leaders with a Facebook Community Group of more than 27,000 HR professionals.