S4 E7: I Wish I Knew How to Quit You: RyanMae McAvoy on Leaving HR

Hebba Youssef
Hebba Youssef
June 3, 2024

In HR, quitting is a part of the job. But no one talks about what happens when HR is ready to quit HR. 

RyanMae McAvoy, Senior Director of People Operations at Blackthorn.io, joins Hebba to unpack quitting from an HR-centric point of view. When is it time to call it quits? And what factors are the primary motivators behind discontentedness in HR? 

RyanMae and Hebba break down the emotional aspects of leaving a job, explain why community is pivotal in decision-making, and reveal the greatest challenges faced by HR professionals on a day-to-day basis. They also dive into the role of empathy, boundary-setting, and personal acknowledgment in creating a happier workplace. 

Why are so many HR professionals contemplating quitting? And why does it so often feel like HR is on an island of its own? Together, Hebba and RyanMae shed light on the often neglected aspect of HR professionals contemplating leaving the field.

 

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00:00:37 – Accidental HR Career Leads to Leadership

00:03:27 – Improving Employee Retention Through Acknowledgement

00:08:03 – AI vs. Human Touch in HR

00:09:27 – Reasons People Want to Quit

00:12:34 – Coping Through COVID

00:17:44 – Focusing on Mental Health in Workplace

00:21:51 – How to Prioritize Family Time

00:22:09 – Empathy in HR

00:27:40 – Why Setting Expectations is Key for Mental Health

00:31:49 – How to Handle Employee Resignations

00:36:37 – Understanding the Emotional Toll of HR

00:40:56 – Navigating Relationships When Leaving a Job

00:42:53 – Struggling with Authenticity in Workplace

00:48:12 – Balancing Humanity and Work Demands

00:52:17 – Advice for Dealing with Burnout

 

And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.

https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/

 

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!

 

Follow RyanMae: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rm80920/

 

Follow Hebba: 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Hebba Youssef
Hebba Youssef