Show Notes:
Guest: Hebba Youssef
Who supports the people who support everyone else? In this episode, Hebba Youssef—founder of the “I Hate It Here” community—opens up about the emotional weight HR professionals carry every day.
They’re expected to coach, mentor, and even act like therapists—while managing burnout and unclear boundaries. Most companies don’t see the pressure they’re under.
We break down the unrealistic expectations placed on HR, the real difference between coaching, mentoring, and therapy, and why leaning on HR for emotional support may be causing more harm than good.
After this episode, you’ll never look at your HR team—or your company’s “support system”—the same way again.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:47 Meet Hebba Youssef
02:00 When Coaching Feels Misplaced
04:21 Defining HR’s Coaching Role
05:51 HR Burnout & Emotional Overload
08:12 Bias in Coaching & Mentorship
11:49 Coaching vs. Mentoring vs. Therapy
18:54 HR as Emotional Dumping Ground
21:06 Confidentiality & Mental Health
23:22 HR Identity Crisis
28:08 Old-School HR vs. Modern People Ops
33:10 HR Leaders Rising to the Challenge
35:17 3 Places HR Should Stop Coaching
37:30 Admitting That You Don’t Know
41:00 Where to Find Hebba
Episode Resources:
Subscribe
Smash that Subscribe button to be the first to hear the latest about how to Have a Better Day ✌️.
Apple (COMING SOON)
