Petra Hrušková: How to Have Happy People at Work? Cancel Zombie Projects and Don’t Punish Mistakes

As many as 50% of employees struggle with stress and feelings of burnout, says a manager with experience in several large multinational companies. Petra Hrušková ensures that people’s experience with work life is positive and inspiring. 

An expert in recruitment, onboarding, and employee retention, Petra Hrušková has worked for Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, giving her a unique perspective on different corporate cultures. Currently, as the Global Wellbeing Lead at Red Hat, a tech company with over 22,000 employees in more than 40 countries, she helps shape strategies that ensure employee wellbeing. She shares her insights at global forums, and training sessions, and even presented them at Innovation Week in Prague. 

How do you find out about people’s experiences at work? 

At Red Hat and many other companies, regular employee surveys—at least once a year—have become standard. Anonymity is crucial. If people think their boss is reading their answers, you can’t count on open feedback. That’s why we run surveys through an external platform. Only a limited and carefully selected group of specialists has access to detailed results. Managers and the HR team receive processed reports from which individual feedback can’t be traced. These surveys are a key information source for leadership and for our team, which focuses on designing and implementing programs that aim to improve employee experience and wellbeing (a word I sometimes cheekily translate as “bliss”). We also create educational programs for managers, who are often a make-or-break factor in an employee’s experience. There's a reason the saying goes: People don’t leave companies—they leave managers. 

What can leaders learn from such surveys? 

They clearly reveal trends and highlight where your organization has gaps or weaknesses. It’s important that employees do more than just tick a box on a scale. Encouraging them to elaborate on their ratings helps uncover the real reasons behind how they feel. These comments are gold for my work—I read hundreds after every survey. 

You keep an eye on the global situation. Is there something that commonly affects a lot of employees? 

Yes—burnout. This is a global phenomenon, according to research from both companies and institutions. Employees frequently feel on the brink. Studies show that around 50% of people worldwide deal with chronic stress or symptoms close to burnout. It’s most common among managers, who bear the pressure of both team leadership and executive expectations. One major cause of burnout for them is a loss of control—they’re expected to implement strategic decisions made by others, regardless of whether they agree with them. A burnt-out manager creates tension for themselves and those around them—and can ultimately destroy their team. 

If a company identifies burnout among employees, what can be done? 

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution because the causes are often individual. If it’s a trend in your organization, the first step is to identify it and then tailor a solution. Sometimes burnout stems from the employee's own habits. In that case, the organization can help them build a self-care system—especially for their mental health. People often underestimate the importance of mental wellbeing. Ironically, it’s the seemingly strongest and most hardworking employees who burn out because they view exhaustion as a weakness. We need to increase personal responsibility for both mental and physical health—they’re deeply interconnected. Many companies offer support programs that make help easily accessible. At Red Hat, we provide such a program globally and free of charge. 

What if the root of the problem lies with the employer? 

That’s common—especially when companies demand more from people than is sustainable. For instance, when budgets are cut and positions eliminated, remaining employees are left with more work. Sure, professionals can go above and beyond for a week or two. But long-term? That’s reckless and damaging to people’s health. Leaders are under pressure from investors to cut costs and boost productivity, but the unrealistic demands fall on employees—who ultimately suffer. 

So how do you break that cycle? 

My go-to solution: essentialism—focusing on what truly matters. The organization must make tough calls on priorities and eliminate any task or process that doesn’t support its long-term goals. Everyone’s doing too much of the wrong things, and in complex organizations, that clutter often goes unnoticed. 

In my burnout prevention workshops, I often remind people: the word “priority” used to exist only in the singular. That changed with the Industrial Revolution. Now, we all juggle multiple priorities—which, frankly, is unhealthy. Neuroscientists warn that our brains aren’t built for multitasking. We get overloaded and can’t focus on doing one thing well. Some studies even show long-term multitasking causes lasting brain damage. 

But employees often fear telling their manager when they’re struggling. What can be done? 

That’s where managers come in—and yes, there’s training for this. They need to create an environment of psychological safety—a place where mistakes aren’t punished, but treated as opportunities to learn and improve. If someone is struggling, it needs to be addressed—but respectfully. A manager should give feedback without putting the employee on the defensive or criticizing them in front of others. 

Will an employee survey reveal if psychological safety is lacking? 

Absolutely. You’ll see it in answers to statements like, “I’m not afraid to make risky decisions when I believe in the outcome.” If people say they don’t take risks, it means they don’t feel safe. They’re afraid of being punished for failure. That’s why HR and leadership need informed and educated leaders. Without psychological safety, a company won’t evolve. Growth and innovation require employees willing to take risks—bold decisions can’t happen if everyone’s afraid of being scolded.

Why should employers even care how employees feel? 

At the very least, because it’s hard to find great people. If you hired someone, chances are they bring something valuable to the table. It takes about a year for a new employee to really hit their stride. Letting them walk away is just bad business. People don’t usually leave because someone else offered them 10% more. They leave because of how they’re treated. If a company is empathetic, listens to employees' needs, and creates the right conditions for them, it builds an environment people don’t want to leave. That’s where they thrive and perform well. It’s scientifically proven: stress kills productivity and creativity. On the flip side, satisfied and motivated employees perform better—with ease and enthusiasm. So this isn’t just good for people—it’s good economics. A strong, well-resourced HR department can play a huge positive role—as long as it has enough support from leadership and company owners. In the workplace, the saying “What goes around, comes around” is more true than anywhere else.