More than half of those polled by Aconso said they view employee wellbeing as a vital long-term issue.

But almost three-quarters said they’re limited in what they can do by the budgets and resources available to them.

As a result, many feel they can’t do enough to reduce the pressure on their team.

For example, 43% said they don’t feel able to fully ease the impact of stress and burnout on employees.

At the same time, many HR bosses are finding it hard to look after themselves, never mind their team.

In fact, 41% said they struggle to manage their own work-life balance. 

Responding to the findings, Aconso CEO Ulrich Jaenicke said there is a “growing recognition” that employee wellbeing is vital for building a “thriving workplace and sustainable business”.

He argued that the success of a firm depends on “supporting employees’ emotional health, fostering engagement and ensuring they feel valued”.

Mr Jaenicke acknowledged that senior HR leaders are facing “a balancing act with managing strategic and operational demands with employee initiatives”.

However, he said that by “adopting the right tools, HR can focus less on repetitive, mundane tasks and more on designing employee experiences that maintain a culture of care and sustainable growth for all generations”.

Mr Jaenicke added that this would also give them more time to “adapt initiatives as the workplace evolves”.

Many HR bosses believe that technology could help them focus more heavily on looking after their team.

Almost three-quarters intend to use tech more heavily to drive efficiency, and therefore free up time to focus on improving the employee experience.

Many are already doing so, with 99% embracing AI and automation to speed up routine day-to-day processes.

This approach is already achieving some success, with 60% saying it’s been a game-changer.