“The HR Breakdown: Dr Jo Burrell on Why the Function That Fixes Everything Is Falling Apart.”

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail The HR Breakdown: Dr Jo Burrell on Why the Function That Fixes Everything Is Falling Apart HR isn’t “a bit stressed.” HR isn’t “managing fine.” HR isn’t “designed to be everyone’s emotional shock absorber.” The latest data finally confirms what every HR human already knows in their bones: The profession responsible for everyone else’s wellbeing is quietly falling apart. In this raw, unfiltered, data-driven conversation, we sit down with Dr Jo Burrell — Clinical Psychologist, co-founder of Ultimate Resilience , and one of HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers 2025 — to unpack her groundbreaking findings on HR mental wellbeing… and the systemic failures that put HR professionals at clinical levels of depression, anxiety, burnout, and moral injury. Jo walks us through the research, the human cost, and the emotional labour nobody sees. Then she introduces an actual solution: HR Supervision — the psychologically informed support model used in clinical professions that could finally make HR sustainable. If you work in HR, lead HR, or have ever forwarded a problem with the phrase “Can HR just handle this?”, this episode is your reality check.