HR Is Running on Empty. John Says It’s Time to Refuel | SHRM '26 | WRKdefined Podcast Network: Conversations Pushing The Boundaries of Work

You can’t keep pouring into everyone else when your own tank is empty. John Bernatovicz gets blunt about burnout, self-care, emotional safety, and what it really means to transform how people feel at work.

For HR professionals, “How are you doing?” should mean more than “I’m good, bro.” This conversation gets into authenticity, productive safety, listening without trying to fix everything, and creating workplaces where people can actually be themselves.

In this episode… John explains why burnout feels like running a car on empty, why bringing your whole self to work can create better collaboration, and why leaders need to create enough safety for employees to tell the truth about how they're doing. He also shares what changed when he started prioritizing his own health, relationships, and energy.

Key Takeaways :

HR professionals give too much. John describes seeing HR leaders constantly give at work, then go home and repeat the cycle until they reach the point of saying, “I cannot do this anymore.”
“How are you doing?” can be a dangerous question. If you aren't genuinely prepared to hear the answer, the question becomes performative instead of meaningful.
Authenticity takes safety. John argues that people need environments where they can be honest about having a bad day without feeling like they're becoming a burden.
Bring your whole self to work, within reason. John believes people do better work and collaborate better when they don't have to constantly maintain a facade at work.
Listening doesn't mean fixing. When someone shares something heavy, John's response is simple: “Thank you for telling me.” Sometimes being present is more valuable than offering a solution.
Burnout is an empty tank. John compares burnout to driving a car so far on empty that even getting out of bed, showering, or going to work feels exhausting. His solution starts with taking care of yourself first.

This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026

The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.

isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.

Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠

Guest : John Bernatovicz

Founder at Willory, John is focused on transforming how people feel at work through the power of HR, with a particular emphasis on authenticity, wellbeing, and creating healthier workplace cultures.

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

The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by

Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/

Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined

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

William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined

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

Connect with WRKdefined :

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