HR Isn’t a Marathon You Have to Run Alone

If you work in HR, you’ve probably felt this at some point:

Somehow, you became the person who is supposed to know… everything. And while it’s flattering that people look to us for so much, it’s just not possible to know and carry all the things all the time. You’re expected to be -

The employment lawyer

The therapist

The business strategist

The benefits broker

The event coordinator

The culture architect

The coach

You’re expected to hold the details, the big picture, the relationships, and the strategy all at once.

It’s meaningful work. But it can also be a lot to carry, and you don’t have to do it alone.

You Don’t Have to Be the Expert in Everything

There’s an unspoken expectation in many organizations that HR should be able to handle anything that comes its way. And while we’re incredibly resourceful people, none of us has done everything.

Great HR leaders aren’t the ones who know it all. They’re the ones who know how to build the right support around them.

Sometimes that support is internal, and sometimes it looks like bringing in another HR professional for a stretch of time to help carry part of the work.

Not because something’s wrong. Not because you’re struggling. But because you’re leading thoughtfully and sustainably.

Everyone Has HR. But Who Does HR Have?

A lot of HR work doesn’t show up in the job description - even when we’re the ones who wrote it.

We hold the full picture of what’s happening inside an organization.

The good.

The hard.

The messy interpersonal stuff.

The leadership concerns.

The confidential conversations we can’t repeat.

Everyone else at work usually has someone they can vent to, brainstorm with, or sanity-check with.

But HR? We’re often the ones holding the information, not sharing it.

That can feel isolating, even when you love the work.

One of the underrated benefits of bringing in another trusted HR professional is that you suddenly have a peer who understands the weight of the role. Someone you can think out loud with, pressure-test decisions with, or simply say, “Okay, this one is a lot,” without breaking trust, and to help make the mental load feel less heavy.

Sometimes the most valuable support isn’t another system or process.

It’s another HR brain.
Or honestly, just another human you can trust and laugh or sigh with after a long week.

What Partnership Can Actually Look Like

When I partner with internal HR teams, I’m there to run alongside you and pick up pieces of the work so the role feels more sustainable again.

You stay the strategic lead. You know your culture, your leaders, your priorities.

I step in when an extra set of hands, expertise, or energy would make things run more smoothly.

Sometimes that looks like:

Picking Up the Work You Don’t Love

Every HR person has their thing.

The project you keep pushing to next quarter.
The process that drains you.
The initiative you know matters, but just don’t have the energy for.

Maybe you love compensation work, but engagement surveys exhaust you.
Maybe you thrive in policy crafting, but employee relations makes your brain melt.
Maybe you want to focus on strategy instead of running open enrollment logistics again this year.

That’s where partnership works beautifully.

You keep leading the work that energizes you.
I step in on the pieces that don’t.

Bringing in Targeted Expertise When Needed

Sometimes something comes up that’s outside your experience:

A complex investigation.
A multi-state compliance puzzle.
A performance framework redesign.
A tricky leadership coaching scenario.

Instead of feeling like you have to figure it out alone, you bring in someone who’s navigated it before.

You stay the trusted internal advisor.
I help you think through options, build structure, or execute the piece that needs extra depth.

Creating Space for the Work That Actually Lights You Up

Most HR professionals didn’t get into this field for the administrative scramble.

They care about:

Building strong teams
Supporting managers
Designing thoughtful people systems
Creating healthy cultures

When your time gets swallowed by operational demands, that work is the first to fall off the list.

Sometimes bringing in fractional support isn’t about fixing anything.

It’s about making space.

Space to think strategically.
Space to build relationships.
Space to focus on the work that actually energizes you.

HR Is Better When We Don’t Do It Alone

HR is one of the few roles where we’re expected to be strategist, operator, counselor, compliance expert, and culture carrier all at once.

No one does that perfectly alone. But when we lean on each other, the work gets stronger and more sustainable.

If you’re an HR leader who’s ever thought, “I don’t need someone to take over. I just need some help,” that’s exactly the kind of partnership I love to build.

If you ever want a sounding board, a project partner, or just another HR human in your corner, I’m always happy to connect. HR isn’t a marathon you have to run alone.