Bouncing back: HR professionals' experiences during times of disruption

Purpose This study investigates human resource (HR) professionals' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study involves in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 37 HR professionals purposefully selected based on their prior involvement in managing pandemic-related challenges. Findings The findings reveal that HR professionals faced intensified organizational demands, leading to expanded job roles, increased workload, a change in pace and emotional pressures. However, participants exhibited resilience by drawing from and creating various job resources to cope with these demands. Our findings also show that despite HR professionals being central to creating workplace support and wellness initiatives, their well-being needs were often overlooked as they prioritized supporting others. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to research on the experiences of HR professionals during the pandemic and to job-demands resources (JD-R) theory by incorporating context-specific demands, resources and coping strategies specific to HR professionals. Practical implications Lessons learned for organizations and HR professionals are discussed in relation to creating conditions of organizational support and resource availability for HR professionals. Originality/value This study extends research on the mental health and well-being of HR professionals during the pandemic by providing a novel lens on linkages between job demands, job resources and self-regulation strategies.