JD asks, “Honestly, is this site still Punk HR or just Anti HR now?”
I think HR is dying — and JD thinks it’s being embraced by Corporate America. Who’s right?
Here’s my take.
- Recruiters constantly undermine it,
- job seekers avoid it whenever possible,
- and employees dread their interactions with any member of a Human Resources team.
What do you think? I wonder if there are any job seekers or employees out there who have had great experiences with HR or learning management system, lately?
Anyone have something to say? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
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Laurie:
Love the question/debate. As a former HR VP and now a consultant, I have seen a wide range of HR talent and many attitidues regarding the effectiveness and worthiness of HR. I would like to ride the fence on this one and say, I do belive HR’s current form is dying. The non-strategic, non value add, non business savvy operation is over. However, the question becomes can we reinvent ourselves into something that is of value. Of course, I want to say yes as I have spent my career in HR, but my real answer is I don’t know. Some days I think we have made progress other days I am talking to a personnel manager. Can’t wait to hear some of the other comments!
Can we also add some things to this?
Departments, managers and employees who like to HIDE behind HR? Those people who don’t have the capacity to say – this is MY decision, instead like to BLAME HR?
The same people who say HR screened out your resume, when in reality THEY screened it out but don’t have the strength to be honest?
Leadership having tough conversations about money and staffing and want to use HR as the decision maker?
And the same people who run to us with problems, express profound gratitude for the confidential assistance yet NEVER share the truly positive experience that come from the interaction.
Yet they frequently find time to complain and critique our work – work that is designed to be relatively transparent. I would like to see other departments thrive under these circumstances.
Great post and thanks for your participation in HR Carnival.
Sorry, I wasn’t in class. I faked sick that day so I could go have a once-in-a-lifetime day with friends of mine. We were in a parade downtown and everything. Hopefully I didn’t get my friend in trouble. Anyway…
More often than not, I tell people that I work in HR and I get an eye roll followed by a 5-minute monologue about why the HR at [insert company name here] sucks. I’m always on the defensive – I don’t get to tell people about the great things that I do because I’m stuck justifying why HR needs to be around. I’m sure I’m not alone on this one.
The number of incompetent people doing this job is overwhelming for the very reason that JD mentioned in the comment. Too many people see HR as a job where you log resumes, set up interviews and explain to employees what they can and cannot do because the book says so. They essentially exist to enforce rules and nothing more. I can’t really blame anyone for thinking that these HR people are kind of useless.
There are places that view HR as an important aspect and they’ve managed to incorporate the cliched “strategic HR”, our favorite fad. The number of graduate HR programs that have cropped up that focus on strategy and human resource development seems to indicate that there is not only a need for people in those areans but also a desire of entry-level and mid-level professional to perform that type of work – the type that requires thinking instead of, well, nothing. I agree that HR is a little bit struggling for air here, but who’s to say that more professionals entering the field equipped with a problem-solving attitude and a desire to (warning: another cliche coming) “get a seat at the table” can’t turn that around and start the HR revival?
My guess is there will be loads of people on here that go “You got it”, “You nailed it”, “Spot on” etc etc etc. Most of them will be HR people. Most of them will be crap HR people. If you work in HR and think its dying in your business, know what? That’s your fault.
Maybe this is natural selection, weeding out all the pointless ineffective people. HR isn’t dead, it just smells that way…..
Dude, like Grimace from McDonalds, can it ever really die (I’ll bet you didn’t know Grimace was indestructable), or should we even try to kill it? I think like many things in our world, there is an ebb and flow. There are many places where HR is failing, and that is an opportunity. Just because something isn’t working the way we want it to doesn’t mean ywe kill it. Heck if that was the rule, my parents never would have let me live past 17
It’s going to be hard work, there will be blood and sweat, and not everyone will want to pitch in, but that’s fine, I chose to lead, some will chose to follow, and the rest will just have to get out of my way, ’cause Puf won’t quit on the vision for a reborn HR.
The future is what you make of it. As a profession, it saddens me that people who practice are ringing the death knell for everyone. As for me in my world, I am not going gently into that good night. I am raging. And I am effective. And my CEO, my collegues and my employees respect the leadership that I provide. My company will succeed not in spite of HR but specifically because we have the foresight to implement HR correctly and not be policy-spouting, nay-saying, wet blankets. So, if HR in your organization is dead, my sympathies, but don’t bring that death talk to my door.
I think there are crappy HR people just like there are crappy managers, or crappy teachers, or crappy bankers. There are crappy people in every profession. HR may have slightly more of them. But just like with anyone else doing a crappy job, who’s at fault for that? The management above them, who should be spotting the problem and rooting it out.
dear laurie,
you know… i think a lot of HR people suck. but i’d like to make HR cool and relevant and sexy because i believe it does have a place. yes, some recruiters undermine it, some job seekers avoid HR, and some employees dread going to HR – and you hear about these instances often. but i don’t think we can make near sweeping statements like you kinda do in your post. (constantly, whenever possible, etc.) there are some good HR people out there, myself included, where i don’t think any of the above apply to me. and i know others like me too.
why don’t we work on better positioning the good examples of great HR pros so that they can be influencers over those who suck?
while i’m on this topic… i wonder… the really good HR people? are they too busy doing their jobs and doing it well that they probably won’t and can’t spend the time to defend the profession? i wonder if they are also too busy getting it done to spend the time working on enhancing the profession. it’s something to think about. do i think it’s right? no. do i wish that would change? yeah… so i’ll just keep on doing what i do and hope that incrementally, change will happen. up hill battle? perhaps.. but i think it’s worth the good fight.
JL
I’m with TheHRD on this one. It’s our responsibilty to make value. Maybe you can’t change HR in your organization entirely – some orgs are just BIG, but you can be chipping away at it in some way. If I don’t like the status quo and I’m not fighting to change it then I lose my right to bitch about it. There are ways to make a difference everywhere. We have to look for them and act on them. Victimhood sucks. Hey, TheHRD, is that a shout to “Jazz isn’t dead, it just smells funny”?
HR is not dying.
I would agreeit is bifurcating to a certain extent, from a blended generalist type function into several smaller more specialized areas, like talent management, etc, but there is still a need for someone to do the shit work that managers hate when it comes to people, and to try and ensure that the shit managers out there stick to some form of cultural consistency.
I think too many HR people hunker down and develop a reactive mentality to issues. We need to stop trying to avoid disasters and litigation. HR peeps need to step out and make shit happen. When you do that, you are at the table, whether you got invited or not.
BTW – the invites are not coming any time soon. You have to create the opportunity. Same holds true for authority and respect. And you have to work to hold on to them once you have them. They are pesky and disappear quickly.
The great companies out there typically have great HR departments under the hood somewhere. But there is also a lot of “What have you done for me lately?”
Stop hiding. Do the work. Make shit happen. HR rocks anywhere that happens.
HR is not dying.
It is going through an identity crisis, and a bit of a nervous breakdown.
I would agree the field is bifurcating to a certain extent, from a blended generalist type function into several smaller more specialized areas, like talent management, etc, but there is still a need for someone to do the shit work that managers hate when it comes to people, and to try and ensure that the shit managers out there stick to some form of cultural consistency.
I think too many HR people hunker down and develop a reactive mentality to issues. We need to stop trying to avoid disasters and litigation. HR peeps need to step out and make shit happen. When you do that, you are at the table, whether you got invited or not.
BTW – the invites are not coming any time soon. You have to create the opportunity. Same holds true for authority and respect. And you have to work to hold on to them once you have them. They are pesky and disappear quickly.
The great companies out there typically have great HR departments under the hood somewhere. But there is also a lot of “What have you done for me lately?”
Stop hiding. Do the work. Make shit happen. HR rocks anywhere that happens.
As long as businesses are run by people and made up of people, HR is not dying. As HR professionals, we are in the people business. As with any other profession, we have a responsibility to ensure our value is seen and heard. The days of black and white policy making and enforcement are long gone and we have to be able to think and talk business – including company strategy and the lines on a balance sheet. The role of HR has shifted, so now it’s a question of who can make the leap.
“There are ways to make a difference everywhere. We have to look for them and act on them. Victimhood sucks.” There’s you have it, in a nutshell.
Hand-wringing and navel-gazing about the state of “the profession” are pointless. The only question that matters is: what are *you* doing? (h/t Puf)
And hey, Joe’sGarage, is that handle a shout to Zappa?
I wouldn’t say it’s dying. It’s just misunderstood.
How HR is perceived depends on how top management values and uses it, and how HR practitioners practice it. In an organization that doesn’t value it, unless HR shows them the value, yeah, it’s dead in that organization.
In some organizations this same thing happens to marketing and customer service.
I believe HR is going through an evolution – just like other departments have evolved. IT, marketing and customer service don’t look the same as 10 years ago…and HR won’t look the same in the future.
The challenge right now is who should define the “new HR” and what should look like. And unfortunately my HR brothers and sisters, we all know there are people inside/outside the profession who have no clue where to start creating value.
Ultimately, the business people who get it will separate themselves from the paper pushers who don’t.
Yes, if it keeps doing what it’s doing…it will die. My opinion. You got it right. Co-workers don’t respect the dept., candidates would rather network to get a job than go through HR, C-levels won’t give them a seat at the table, CFOs don’t see their contribution to the bottom line…and on and on.
Part of the problem is HR listens to HR…my goodness start listening to those around you that are your audiences and having honest conversations with them. And enough with the “benefits” BS – dry cleaning drop off at the office is not what workers really want or need!
HR could die if management and staff grow into people who choose to do the right thing, are highly effective, responsible, non-litigious, and generally play well with others. HR could then go the way of the dinosaur. Or at least be able to focus on Organization designed/development and training. Well you would still need someone to help the organization with government compliance, of course if everyone is that emotionally and professionally developed we might not need Government any more either.
HR is dying at some organizations but like someone above said, its the fault of crappy HR ‘leaders’. HR can play a critical role in organizations if those heading the HR department arent, as Puf would say, policy police. I dont let managers or employees hide behind me and I dont always agree with what they’re saying and they know that. Its up to us to form the mold for HR. Our industry has grown from personnel to the “new hr” and we have the opportunity to make it what we want. I for one enjoy what I do and I refuse to let it die, especially under the notion of not being a strategic partner. If we’re going out, lets go out big with scandals and fireworks; do it up right.
I think “traditional” HR has gone the way of the dinosaur – as more HR professionals are educated/trained in the field, as they become more business savvy and add value to their organizations, and as companies emerge from the dark ages of “personnel” (particularly in light manufacturing/industrial environments) As owners/CEOs/non-HR executives stop hiring the “evil HR lady” or the “receptionist/HR person” and seek to hire competent, experienced HR professionals and pay them appropriately – Human Resources will emerge as a field where the movers and shakers are recognized outside of our own inner circle.
I see it happening now, but not nearly enough. But it is happening, we just have to put the last nails in the coffin of “personnel” – because we have technology to do most of that. We have to step up and THINK.
have the courage to live. anyone can die. — robert cody (who the heck is he?)
HR is not dying, people within HR who do not deliver value to their clients are. The value that HR brings to the table in every organization will be different. Some will need Talent Mgmt Strategy, some will need help with comp, benefits, some will need help engaging employees, some will need all of the above.
The point is this, HR folks need to stop dictating to their clients about what we do and why it should be important to the business. If it doesn’t help them be more successful, they don’t care. The approach needs to be, what do you need from us to be successful and then offer different solutions that work for both the business and the compliance, legal, love your neighbor world that HR needs to exist in
IT has been going through this tranistion for a while. IT realized that they are there to enable the business to be more succesful. Once this shift happened IT became a partner to the business and a valued resource. HR practioners that realize this will thrive in the future.
That’s my .02
You know, HR is like anything else, there’s some good, some bad.
As an example of some bad…I went to the national SHRM conference the other year and they had this spy camera interviewing people, asking HR folks things like: What national legislation prohibits discrimination based on race? What does FMLA or OFCCP represent? Name two exemption categories under FLSA? Etc. It was like some late night talk show host on the street asking people basic questions, and all the HR people could do was stammer and drool and make grunt noises. None of the people had correct answers.
Now don’t get me wrong, good HR is not about being some poindexter who can merely spit out facts and information, but c’mon people! You have to at least be literate in your own profession (and not the kind of “literate” people try to purchase in HRCI PHR classes that supposedly substitute 10 years of real life work with 2 weeks of group-hug study time). Simple ignorance is one significant reason why I think HR could indeed be dead, and should be dead. Too many weak people who are “nice” and think it would be “nice” to be in HR, cause don’t ya know, you get to plan parties, and meet people, go to job fairs, conferences, blah blah blah.
The purging of that crap, the elimination of those roles, and that face of HR, shoot, it cannot pass quick enough. When THAT form of HR disappears, person by person, it only means the rest of us have a greater chance of being part of a genuinely recognized profession.
I know, I know, my value and contribution rests on my own merits and ability, as it should. But it will be sweet to someday be rid of the softer side of HR. The mean side of HR is where I want to be, operationally gritty, immersed in sales strategies, neck deep in strategic planning, budget preps, and acquisition diligence. So far down the throat of mean-HR that those business drivers, all around me, don’t even think of me as HR. I can hear them thinking: Hell, he contributes, he drives the machine forward, he makes a difference…he is like us…he can’t be HR…can he?
That is where I see this puppy headed.
My hope is that HR evolves instead of dies. I’m lucky (and I’ve worked damn hard). I have a CEO who wholeheartedly believes in HR having a seat at the table. Our largest expense – by far – is labor and the associated costs, so why wouldn’t HR be at the table?
We need to move away from making and enforcing rules, and instead focus on what makes business sense. We offer benefits to our employees because we need to do so to be competitive – and we TELL our employees this fact. It’s not out of the kindness of our hearts. Harsh? Maybe. Does it make sense – both business sense and common sense? Yes.
On the other hand, we firmly believe you work so you can live, and we treat our employees like they have lives outside of work, because they do. We show respect for them, they show respect for the company. Strange notion, isn’t it.
After 30 years in this HR business, I tend to paraphrase the Buddhist koan: If you meet Human Resources on the road, kill it.
Let’s start again with strategic critical thinking and organizational development, skip the paperwork crap and compliance issues that could be outsourced.We can then re-think our profession as one that brings a fresh and dynamic ideas about human employees to the management table.
Wifey works for a good friend of hers in a small company where everyone has fun, jokes around, and goes out together. Recently, her friend (we’ll call him – The Boss) and I had a discussion about sexual harassment. He asked my thoughts about whether or not he needed to worry about it and for my advice on how to handle things should a problem arise. I gave him my thoughts and covered the law as I understand/interpret it. He thanked me and I genuinely felt good about what I do after helping him. Not my actual job since I don’t work for/with him but I suppose what I felt good about was related to working in HR and the part where we help people. Sure, we need to convice CEO/CFO/ETCs about that and practice our strategery but we can and should be an important part of the daily operations of our businesses.
Of course I also had a recent experience where I said hello to an employee by name. She looked at me funny and said that another HR person also just said hello to her by name. She said, “Is something wrong, am I getting fired or something?”
some day….
Relatively recent reader, first time commenting: JD, honestly, HR entry-level jobs that pay 6 figures? BA’s for boutique firms? Can we get some Fortune 500 examples please?
I have to vote with the punk. Employees hate HR, management uses it as a punching bag and enforcer, and still hates it. It exists now as an unwanted stepchild, whose been around so long no one wants to be the one to expell it from the house. Why shouldn’t Accounting do payroll, managers or per department specialists do recruiting, IT run reports, and a staff psychologist handle issues?
Hey— I’m a recruiter and I don’t want to go anywhere NEAR what HR has to do— so, no worries there, mate!!
HR will live on like the Creature that never dies!!! Oh… um…. I have a question about my dental insurance??
I’m with HRD and Cathy. If HR is dying it’s partly us to blame- but also- the archaic-paper-pushing-people-hiring/firing department currently known as HR- is dying.
We are no longer (or should no longer be), glorified prefects and hallway monitors- but actual strategists and decision makers in the direction of whatever company we work for.
The days of HR bureaucracy NEED to die and give way to a more flexible and proactive kind of field.
There are incompetent morons in HR just like there are incompetent morons in every other field. This issue doesn’t die. That “Why We Hate HR” article in Fast Company from a few years ago that caused so much freakage really shouldn’t have. The bottom line is that you have to get off your arse and do good work! Just like every other job on the planet. I could name you 3 disciplines in my company for which people are making the same argument. It’s dying, we’ll be out of work in 10 years, blah blah blah. Well okay, if that’s what you think, then you will be out of work. What are you doing to grow/change/contribute so that doesn’t happen?
If you look for the signs of demise, you will find them. But if you look for success, you’ll find that, too. Better yet, get up every morning and do the job like it matters 8, 9, 10 hours a day. Then it doesn’t matter if they call you HR, Talent Mangement, Director of Operations, or Sassy Cat Herder.
That said, I don’t think the HR community at large (yeah, SHRM) is serving us all that well. As an information source, great. Need a webinar? Great. Need a legal reference? Great, too. Networking? Sort of cool sometimes, depending on the function. Need real world advice? Not so much. I hardly attend my local affiliate functions anymore for that reason. I’m 40 years old, yet I feel like the 20 year-old Gen X’er with the purple hair every time I attend one of these meetings or conferences. Continually scheduling speakers to address The Generations at Work or How to Discipline Without Getting Sued isn’t helping me. Yeah, if you’re green you need that (well, not the gen stuff), but for those of us who know the ABC’s, where’s the meaty stuff? And don’t give me another CEO to tell me what to do. Odds are, he’s just like my CEO & I already have him figured out. Find a battle-scarred speaker who’s working HR every day and let him/her tell me how he/she’s making it work TODAY, not the retired-10-years-ago-and-has-a-book-to-sell speaker.
Consultants have their place, and we need that perspective, but they don’t work in the dirt every day. Stop telling me “you need a seat at the table” and tell me HOW. In real terms. Not in platitudes or what worked 15 years ago. I’ve found that you pretty much have to be a secret agent/therapist/psychic/wardrobe consultant/drink buddy/expert in celebrity gossip/comedic analyst/sharp-minded-and-game-ALWAYS-on type in order to get there.
HR ain’t dead…it’s just been lying in a coma for about 20 years and still coming to grips that the world it knew has moved on.
HR people need to help people do business, rather than simply helping people. We need to learn the language of our clients first and foremost. You see this in the training and development world all the time – so many trainers are so wrapped up in the business of learning that they forgot to actually learn the business. That’s why trainers are the last to know and the first to go in many organizations, and so it will be with HR if we don’t change our most fundamental attitudes towards what makes a good HR professional.
There’s going to come a day when the MBA is the new PHR/SPHR, if that day hasn’t come already. That’s going to be a rude awakening to the HR dinosaurs who only go to the same safe and boring HR events just to get the recert credits (especially the cream-filled Strategic ones).
Our local and national trade assocations need to stop facilitating the HR echo chambers that pass for educational events and push each practitioner to attend something in their field…not something branded credit-worthy by HRCI.
Evolving (hey we still do good things at my Co.)…but isn’t every part of business doing the same? No I am not a shameless self promoter of HR…just seing the upside!!!
M
Laurie,
I see HR dead the same way I saw Lee Majors as the $6 Million Dollar Man – not really dead, just in bad need of some upgrades overall. Even traditional HR will survive in some forms, for the simple fact we have so many badly run companies – as the employment tide turns, and the baby boomer retirement wave begins to hit – to many companies won’t adjust quickly enough. This will leave many organizaitons doing what they’ve always done with HR – for the simple fact they’ll be playing catch up.
For those other organizations that went through their bionic transformation and got some HR Pros with some business savvy, we’ll see those companies emerging stronger on the other side of the recession. Unfortunately, those will be the exception and not the rule.
I wanna be titled Sassy Cat Herder… should I speak to someone in HR about that?
HR as a profession has changed quite a bit in the last 30 years. At one time, it was a male dominated profession, but now it’s a female dominated profession. CEO’s used to look at HR as a dumping ground for male executives who couldn’t cut it, now they see it as a place where they can put Females Executives and say there isn’t a glass ceiling.
I agree with various comments that many HR professionals are not trained well. Often many of us start out as Secretaries, clerks and/or lower level HR associates, and we all work our way up. But as we do, we aren’t learning what we need to learn, by attending college level courses, or going for the BA/BS degree in HR. Have a pretty face, or a good personality isn’t going to cut in HR, if you’re not trained properly.
I see the comment above about the SHRM Conference asking HR people questions about FLSA, OFCCP, FLMA. Most HR folks have no idea about what most HR laws. Do they know what Executive Order 11246 is? Do they know what EEOC is?
When I came up, I graduated with a BA/MBA in Human Resources Management, I worked for IBM and Xerox Corporation. Companies where they took pride in hiring college graduates in HR and continued to train them thru the years. When I went to other smaller companies, where they needed my expertise in Compensation, I found many of these companies had untrained HR employees. Often they had no idea about the various HR procedures, processes and HR laws.
This was 20 years ago. Unfortunately today, the situation with untrained and under-educated HR people has gotten worse.
The dying HR people don’t read blogs, meet people or get out of their office. They certainly won’t debate issues – in public!
So, my response as someone who reads blogs, always has an opinion (yes, in public) and gets out to meet all kinds of people is that HR is evolving. A fantastic example is The American Cancer Society using facebook to engage their leadership development group for retention. (2009 Retention Award winner from ERE.) I can’t wait to see what happens!
HR should do more than just enforce rules. Anyone can follow a rule book. HR should help figure out the grey areas and the exceptions. If your HR reps can’t do that then you need new HR, not an absence of it. But that also doesn’t mean HR shouldn’t be enforcing rules. Managing risk is part of what HR does. It helps protect the company and the managers. The same people that get annoyed by HR are running to them the first time they are named in an EEO charge, or have OFCP or USCIS at their door. When HR stops you from acting like an idiot, they are not actually doing it because they want to “help” the employees; they really just want to make sure they company doesn’t get it’s a$$ sued off, you know helping you keep your job.
HR, like any other business function, is evolving. Those in HR who grew up as administrators have to adapt or they will die. Those who grasp financial fundamentals, business processes, strategy and EXTERNAL customers are the ones who continue to find seats at the leadership table.
I’ve been fortunate to work with smart leaders who saw HR as a partner and not a paper-pusher, but the partnerships worked because I didn’t come to the table banging my fist on it and asking for a seat; I came to the table with an understanding of financial statements, managing the talent curve, and aligning people strategy with the rest of the business.
If you want to read about some interesting examples, google the name Matt Schuyler, the former CHRO of Capital One.
The dying HR people don’t read blogs, meet people or get out of their office. They certainly won’t debate issues – in public! So, my response as someone who reads blogs, always has an opinion (yes, in public) and gets out to meet all kinds of people is that HR is evolving. A fantastic example is The American Cancer Society using facebook to engage their leadership development group for retention. (2009 Retention Award winner from ERE.) We can only hope that the dying HR people disappear quickly so that there are more opportunities for the rest of us to make an impact.
I can’t wait to see what happens!
Focker, Are You A Pot Smoker?
Someone has rolled a fatty on this one.
Here is the deal-e-o Recruiters and HR people.
Get-get-get-get over yourself!!!
HR shoves Recruiters into a box and pulls them out when it’s convenient.
Recruiters shove HR in a box too.
We look at each other as a bunch of Gimps in the company. Everyone gets in the others way.
If you dislike HR, then go work for yourself and tell the Corporate HR to shove it. Besides, you will make a lot more money if you achieve success.
And, Do you care then if HR was dying as you roll pass them in your luxuray car asking to them pass you the Grey Poupon?
The reality is that HR is not Dying, it’s growing, but if you want to dream it is, then sweet dreams.
I dare say….HR is not a dying art…..it just needs to be re-defined in terms of how business is being conducted today. The traditional aspects of HR will always be there, legal compliance, performance management, and benefits administration. But even now, the way we recruit is different. We also have to acknowledge that even performance management issues are different, especially in terms of our multigenerational and diverse workforces. Economic woes have affected the workplace, employee engagement, and whether employees feel they will have a job “tomorrow” has faltered. Do employees believe in their company anymore? Change happens in the face of all of these issues….HR just has to keep up with it, and continue to add voice to the organization in terms of how to manage it.
Uh, HR….Do small businesses have this type of thing? NO! I haven’t dealt with HR since the 90′s, and I do NOT plan on doing so at any point in the future.
What is HR for, like insurance and time cards and interviewing people? In small business it seems like one person is doing it all.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have answered your question. Ha!
I would like you to answer JD’s question.
People always like assigning blame. It is easy to assign blame to HR on both the job seeker and employee’s part. My managers will say something to job seekers that I don’t hear about until the job seeker says it to me, and it’s a promise I can’t keep. Be it a promise of a time frame or a benefit, and I get the brunt of the blame. Employees like to blame HR because they don’t get a 20% pay increase they think they deserve. Managers definitely use HR as a scapegoat because they don’t have the balls to admit the truth. Job seekers will whine and complain that they don’t receive calls back, but they’re sending in resumes with misspelled names (yes, their own), incomplete job histories, poor job histories, and job skills that don’t even match the listed qualifications. I use screeners to help me sort out the bad apples and that doesn’t even deter them. Yet, I’m sure they whine to their friends about HR. It couldn’t possibly be anything that they’re doing!! It must be HR, trying to keep them down!
puh-leaze.
“Why shouldn’t Accounting do payroll, managers or per department specialists do recruiting, IT run reports, and a staff psychologist handle issues?”
I must just address this a bit. Department specialists and managers don’t WANT to do recruiting, because it sucks. It’s time consuming. I can barely get managers to go to job fairs. They have other things to do, such as manage their own teams and their own work besides that. IT doesn’t want to run reports, either. They also have enough to do, with monitoring systems, servers, building them, etc. They also shouldn’t have access to confidential employee information. That is part of the reason HR should and will continue to exist, accessible only by certain people. A staff psychologist wouldn’t necessarily be qualified to handle issues such as sexual discrimination claims. That’s why we have lawyers on staff or on retainer. You must think that people go to HR to talk about daddy issues, or something. Your idea might be fine for a small company with little to do, but for your mid sized to large companies.. not so much.
Lori, you’re assuming HR staff act professionally and with sensitivity. No one wants to do the job of excellent HR professionals. On the other hand, no one wants incompetent, brusque HR attitudes.
The HR staff at my company acts professionally and with sensitivity. Maybe I am spoiled. But, I have heard nothing but great things about my HR department and the people in it. People come to us ALL the time for questions and for advice. They also invite us out to social gatherings. I don’t think we’re viewed negatively in any way. It’s our culture to serve them.
@Yossi No one should be allowed to remain incompetent in any job. If HR is failing at your org, work to get it fixed. Same goes for accounting, IT, operations…
I didn’t intend to make this personal, on my part or others. If this isn’t a general discussion, I will gracefully bow out.
The profile of “The HR Leader” needs to change. Now.
I personally prefer the Laurie Ruettimann profile.
I’ve discovered more HR Talent online these days than I’ve ran across in many years of experience in Corp HR. Like Marketers these days HR Pro’s need to be Leaders of Tribes (not to get SG geeky)
Communities and leaders like the one’s that gather here will redefine the profile of “Today’s HR Leader”.
Yossi,
don’t bow out; you’ve just underscored why HR is still relevant if it’s adaptive.
We’re blogging, tweeting, and using social media to explore a controversial business topic. And a bright person makes a generalization about the effectiveness/ability of a group…and elicits a negative response. Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!
In the work context, enter HR to clean up the ER mess.
Old model: we soothe the ruffled feathers, we knee-jerk a “no blogging” rule, and drop the hammer on the offending employee for a lack of sensitivity/political correctness. And I smell a training on workplace etiquette coming.
The aggrieved employee is mad because there not satisfied, the “offender” is mad at HR because hey, no harm was intended, and the company hates HR because they can’t connect on facebook and have to go to another damn seminar instead of doing the work of two people since the layoffs last month. And the HR group becomes a bunch of bitter cynical people holed up in the back office mumbling about a red stapler.
New HR model: How do we leverage Web 2.0 to maximize our talent management? How do we integrate it into our marketing strategy? How do we manage risk without blunting the power of the tool? How do we leverage and link the collaborative and innovative power of social media without running afoul of existing employment policies?
How do we blend social media into our human capital strategy and make the company money? How do we blog to win?
That’s where HR adds value going forward. Some HR people know this, and should be recognized. Some will recognize this, if they are awakened and not demeaned. And some will never get it. Just cross to the other side of the street when you meet them.
You make a good point about everyone trying to subvert HR. And it’s true, if you can get in touch with the hiring manager when applying then you’ve just skipped step 1 which is break through the HR barrier. And with sites like LinkedIn, it is easier than ever to find the decision-maker and bypass the headhunter. HR definitely needs to find ways themselves more relevant…
I’ll reference my post on the subject (http://www.yourhrguy.com/is-human-resources-fatally-flawed/) but add something more:
A couple people on my original post commented that HR functions should be taken over by managers and that’s what will ultimately doom HR. That’s great but that simply hasn’t been the trend. We’ve seen more specialization, not less. If management /really/ hated HR, why don’t they just take back the functions and eliminate it? If it were easy, if HR truly wasn’t adding value, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Similarly, why shouldn’t managers be in charge of training? And if that’s the case, why can’t they take charge of pricing? How about marketing? Budgeting?
At small companies, you have managers who do all of these things. It just doesn’t scale though.
I don’t think Laurie is totally anti-HR. That’s just my opinion from talking to her about the subject though. But we have to have a serious rethinking of what it means to run a business in the 21st century. Rethinking HR is a major part of that but it expands to all areas of a business.
@teresahrgirl (aka Sassy Cat Herder) You gotta fight for your right to partay. I would definitely talk to someone in HR about your title…or, better yet, talk to the person who orders the business cards.
Long story best kept short: since I order business cards as well as performing my death-paneled HR duties, I actually changed my title on my own cards without telling my boss. (It’s not like he’ll ever see them, right?) Wish I would have thought of Sassy Cat Herder at the time.
I’m tired. Too much HR talk for one day. Good luck responding to all this, Laurie.
@Ken Moir – You got it!
HR is changing. Of course that means what it WAS was dying.
First of all the bad: People aren’t happy with HR, how it works, and what it does. People are confused about what HR does anyway. Most people make unreasonable demands on HR. It’s not something people want to go into.
The change: Technology is altering how HR works. Some places are changing what HR is (“Employee Relations” is one I’ve seen). The tasks of HR may be moved to different departments or areas.
I think the old HR models are over and gone. They just haven’t been fully replaced yet and wont for another two decades.
Whoa, I can’t respond to all of these comments because some are interwoven into broader discussions. I am blown away by how some of you are having conversations with one another, I love the title of Sassy Cat Herder, and I’m pretty sure that I don’t want HR to die. I just think it’s the worst example of bureaucracy — and if it offends a bleeding heart liberal like me who likes big government, you know we have a problem.
One thing I know: if we don’t innovate and thrive, we’re as good as dead. So I wonder — what are some good examples of HR doing it right? The Red Cross was one. If UR DOIN IT RITE at your companies, why isn’t CNBC profiling your HR team? Why aren’t you called upon as experts when there’s an article about unemployment, staffing, or workforce issues? Do we just need better PR teams for HR departments who are doing it right?
There are alot of reasons why the really good HR teams do not get profiled is there not paying the big bucks for ads or Fortune 100′s garnishing attention…theres alot of great HR going on out there, we are also too busy doing it to talk about it (well not totally true but it sounded good)…you make a great point…you know my team is at the leading edge and we have certainly gotten our share of Props the past 2 years, but we are not a “mainstream” company and we like our persona as being humble. As you and a few “insiders” know, I was pushed to stop my personal blogging activity for legal concerns and to reposition myself as a “role model” and “face” of the company…which is humble pie USA…squeeky clean (or close to it – no scandals, controversy or edgyness allowed) by doing so we comprimise our ability (and my ability) to be the expert out there in the news…its a tight rope to work internal business/legal and corporate directions in business today…PS…I oversee PR in my company and more HR groups should do the same, there is synergy in leading internal and external communication….
I could go on for an hour as you have hit an exposed nerve…I think you should do a piece on the PR thing, PS one of the 4 major networks wanted us (me) to be interviewed ON HR perspectives on the OBAMA health reform…3 weeks ago…wanna guess why we turned it down? So even when we get the shots to do main stream media there are alot of hurdles…its a catch 22 damned if you do and don’t…evangelists sometimes become matyrs….And matyrs can’t pay for their kids ED Hardy t-shirts when their unemployed and untouchable/rehireable because they crossed a line….
Loved your challenging posts today!!!!
M
A lot of it has to do with what Mark. F. just said…too much red tape and if things are okay in house, is it absolutely necessary to go outside for pub anyway? Not sure I think it is.
A lot of it has to do with what Mark. F. just said…too much red tape and if things are okay in house, is it absolutely necessary to go outside for pub anyway? Not sure I think it is.
Our HR department plays a factor in the following, but we seldom agree to discuss in the press:
As a caring employer dedicated to workforce diversity…
* Recognized as one of Florida Trend’s “Best Companies to Work for in Florida” (2009)
* Received the Diversistar Award for excelling in promoting workplace diversity practices (2003)
* Named by Child magazine as one of the Top 10 Family-Friendly Supermarkets (2003)
* One of the top companies in FORTUNE’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” (1998-2009)
* One of the nation’s Outstanding Employers of Older Workers, according to Experience Works (2002)
* One of BestJobsUSA.com’s “Employers of Choice 500″ (2001)
* Recognized as one of Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT (2005-2009)
* One of Central Florida Family magazine’s top companies for working families (1999)
* One of the top 10 companies in the book, “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America” (Currency/Doubleday, 1993)
* Winner of the Mid-Florida Society for Human Resource Management Diversity Award (2003)
* Catalyst Blue Ribbon Board of Fortune 500 Companies with Multiple Women Directors (1998-2002)
As an industry leader…
* Recognized by wRatings Corp. as No. 1 on their list of “Most Competitive Retailers” (2008)
* Ranked No. 20 on the Reputation Institute’s Global Pulse U.S. list of “The Most Respected Companies in the United States” (2008)
* One of the top “10 Companies That Treat You Right” in a poll conducted by MSN Money-Zogby (2008)
* Ranked as one of BusinessWeek magazine’s list of the top 25 Customer Service Champs (2007-2009)
* One of the top 10 companies in Forbes list of the largest private companies (2005-2008)
* Highest rank among supermarkets in RealPeopleRatings.com, conducted by Corporate Research International (2007-2009)
* Named Finest in Retailing by Retailing Today (2006)
* Received the 2004 “Outstanding Business” award for recycling efforts from Recycle Today, Inc. (2004)
* The Governor’s Business Diversification Award – Business Expansion (2003)
* Rated top pharmacy in the WilsonRx Survey of supermarket pharmacies (2003-2006)
* Scored higher than any other supermarket for customer satisfaction in a national survey conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (1995-2009)
* One of FORTUNE’s “Most Admired Companies” (1994-2009)
* Voted “Best Grocery Store” by Florida Monthly magazine (2003-2004)
* Catalyst Blue Ribbon Board of FORTUNE 500 Companies with Multiple Women Directors (1998-2002)
* One of PlanetFeedback’s “A-Rated Companies” for customer satisfaction (2001)
* United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Merit Award 2000 (2000)
* Progressive Grocer “Retailer of the Year” Award (1998)
As involved members of our community…
* One of Jacksonville Magazine’s top 25 Companies That Care (2000-2009)
* Executive Technology Magazine’s Community Service Award (2002)
* Special Olympics Florida Hall of Fame (2001)
* America’s Second Harvest Grocery Distributor of the Year Award (2001)
* Outstanding Industry Partnership Award for contributions to the Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger (1999)
* March of Dimes Million Dollar Club Award (1999)
* United Way of America national Spirit of America® Award (1996)
This is both a great and awkward question, Laurie.
Our company and I have received some amazing national individual and team honors but very few folks outside our industry know about it. I don’t know why…or maybe I don’t want to admit why. Does it have to do with what Matt posted earlier? Maybe.
I admit that I want attention from CNBC for both myself and my team – heck, even the local NBC affiliate would be nice. I also know that we’ll never get as much of it as we want or think we deserve.
At the end of it, I know I need to keep focused on helping my clients hit their goals, and let that be the best PR. If knowledgeable peers share the story of me and my team, I’m grateful. If not, I know that my family has a roof over their head, food in their bellies, and clothes on their backs because of the work I do. That makes me their hero. And that will always be enough for me.
And I meant to say “…with what Mark F. posted earlier.” Sorry about the late-night typo.
HR is not dying. I have heard the same said about IT and finance and marketing. There are companies that comtemplated outsourced their entire sales function. It is clear however that HR is receiving a particularly bad rap currently.
Let’s face, HR lacks deep leadership talent. There are many great practitioners of HR and certainly there are examples of stellar leadership, but these examples are few and far between. When we see great leaders, we look to other areas of the business; sales, engineering, marketing, finance, etc.
Ask yourself, how many CEO’s came from an HR background? What about the make of of Boards of Directors? The fact is that many people going to top management programs and spending over $100K to get their MBA’s from Wharton, Harvard, and Stanford are not looking for a career in HR. It is shocking considering that people are the most important asset in an organization. Wouldn’t this require the greatest of leadership talent in order to effectively people to be their most productive? However the vast majority of those MBA graduates are going into other roles as HR is not seen as a good (and lucrative) career move.
HR will be seen as more than just a company back water until more HR leaders emerge to rise above the operational, tactical needs of HR and start working with other senior leaders to look at strategic people issues. The challenge is to develop a larger pool of top notch HR leaders that can move HR in this direction.
Here’s a random but somewhat related story.
I was 26 years old. I was a ‘Regional HR Manager’. Why did I have that title? Because I was competent and got stuff done even though I had very little Generalist & management experience. I was working on my SPHR at the time.
I had to meet with the CEO of an acquired insurance company in Oklahoma City. I attended his executive team meeting — & this guy was bitching about HR policies and procedures. As if our Corporate HR policies in Chicago were holding back his underwriting office in Oklahoma. Whatever, dude. As they say in Oklahoma, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me that it’s raining.”
***
I told him that there is no HR policy that is making his branch less productive or profitable. I wanted to say, “STFU you chump CEO.”
I kept my cool. I wouldn’t back down.
The CEO looked at me and barked, “I can’t tell if you’re smart or just HR smart.”
I was shocked. HR Smart? I responded, “I don’t care what you think.”
***
I went back to my hotel room and cried. HR smart? What the hell does that mean? Except we all know what that means. You’re smart, sorta, but you work in a field where most people are incompetent. Good for you. You’re the smart kid in a remedial class. Here’s a gold star.
Fucker. This is how we treat the up & coming HR stars in our industry? You get the kind of HR you deserve.
“HR Smart”, that’s a good one. I guess that’s how managers describe us when we say something they don’t understand or appreciate and herein lies the problem (I think). Many managers resist HR actions because they don’t understand or appreciate them enough. HR should work on relationship building and partnering with the line managers in order to come up with HR actions that they can truly appreciate… and that’s when I believe HR will be truly appreciated.
I guess it says something that for the last 10 years, I have been describing myself as “Not your typical anal HR dude” to non-HR colleagues
@Laurie – The CEO was a tool. Huge respect to you for not taking his crap. I don’t know how things eventually turned out between you and him, but you’ve got a wildly successful site and business that’s helping shape our profession. He’s probably still toiling in obscurity.
We know who the smart was really is, huh?
@Laurie – The CEO was a tool. Huge respect to you for not taking his crap. I don’t know how things eventually turned out between you and him, but you’ve got a wildly successful site and business that’s helping shape our profession. He’s probably still toiling in obscurity.
We know who the smart one really is, huh?
Dying. A slow death, too. We have this thing in the UK – if it’s the same with you, just say. It’s this: ‘People are your biggest assets’. That’s the HR mantra. It sucks. It’s a lie, and everyone knows it, especially Finance, whose like the Emperor before he reveals himself in the Star Wars films that sucked. People are bad. So let’s be honest. If HR said: ‘People are costing us too much money. They lie, steal, bully. Give me the weapons and I’ll clear this place up.’ Maybe Finance would fall off his perch. Maybe HR would then have some teeth. Then people would still avoid them, but at least when they came calling, they’d sit up. One more if I can. Imagine how popular HR would be if it was pro networking, tweeting at work, rather than anti?
As a general point of conversation to all of you, I wonder when my experiences in HR (fighting an uphill battle, being mistrusted, being taken for a fool) will be the exception and not the rule. We’re not thriving if we’re looked at like morons. We can die a slow death — or we can fight back. Is it worth the fight? Some of the comments give me hope, but some make me wonder if we’ll be bickering about the same stupid shit in another 20 years.
Still not optimistic, but I see how passionate some of you are for Human Resources — and you bring real integrity to your jobs — and I want to be there with you. I really do. Gives me something to think about.
It’s my guess-timation that Human Resources was created by the Boy’s Club to facilitate thier needs— and thier needs only. Trying to communicate something profound to fat, thin-lipped, little-dicked, chauvinistic, anal retentive assholes is like trying to teach a pig alegebra— ain’t gonna happen, sweetie—
Like many of the others have pointed out–there are a lot of bad people in HR. I have often wondered–”how did s/he get hired in HR? There are people who are working that I am still wondering about. But, my comment is, no HR is not dying, it has changed, and it has the ability to change, which is why it will not die. HR continues to change, at its best it can be productive and results can be seen. At its worst, it is the “death angel”. Where I think the a lot of the problem lies is with HR people, they need to decide what they want from their career and the company they work for–if it is not happening then they need to make it happen–somewhere else. Of course I recognize we all need a job to live–but times and the economy were not always bad.
You’re worrying about the wrong people when you say that recruiters, job seekers and employees don’t like HR. The people that need to like HR are the senior execs and other Managers.
Great HR people make a difference in how well the company is managed. There’s not a lot of fanfare in HR because the assistance HR provides is given quietly. Great HR people are working day-in-and-day-out helping and advising about the people side of the business equation to help make the execs/mgrs look good.
When it’s time to pass out credit, everyone forgets that it was advice or actions or discussions with Great HR that helped the organization make or take the right decisions/actions.
I completely agree that HR needs a major PR overhaul. It should absolutely be one of SHRM’s highest priority action items. One starting place would be with the top MBA programs.
@bncarvin Oh boy, this is why I love you. The PR overhaul should be a strategic imperative imperative for SHRM. You are so right. SHRM has curriculum guidelines and standards for undergraduate programs, I believe, but working closely with Top MBA programs makes sense. Also, get Rubenstein to help elevate the profession ASAP.
When you think about it, the work that HR leadership provides (guidance on the people issues) is really one of the most important BUSINESS roles in running a successful company. If the people issues are f-ed up, the Sales department is going to suck and not make sales, the Operations people are going to be lazy and unproductive, and on and on.
In order for any large company to be successful, they have to get the people issues right. Every single time. Why do you think every article in Harvard Business Magazine has so many articles on the people issues? They just don’t call them HR issues.
If HR is the most strategic business function (which I believe it is) then every MBA program should be focusing heavily on the people issues. HR should be the COOLEST profession for business people. Only the brightest, most intuitive, sharpest, entrepreneurial, kick-ass punk rock people need apply.
Love you too.
@bncarvin @laurie I have what suddenly struck me as a really obvious and dumb question. Why aren’t we using these bad ass blogs and communities and forums that we have to tell the world just how kick ass HR can be. Not to mention what they need to do to make it that way.
I am currently writing a blog post about the different types of HR I think are out there, and one them is HR Victim.
Are we busy being that here? I hate to think I am falling into that piece of shit trap!
Holy crap, I’m no victim. Or am I? I didn’t even think of that. I don’t want to be a whiner. Hmmmm.
Michael, I was having that same thought as I was writing my post. Maybe the best use for the HR Blogging community — rather than preaching to the choir — is to rock on about how HR makes companies thrive.
One of the things that I thought was so totally cool about HR when I was working in it was that I knew everything that was going on in the company. What other position other than CEO offers you that?
There are so many awesome things about HR but it’s always so much more fun for everyone to gripe.
Hell would you rather be an Accountant? (No offense to all the accountants out there but HR rocks way more than that!)
Good idea, Michael. Shall we make it happen?
I’m in….shit, this needs I need rethink this blog post!
@Laurie – not trying to steal your bully pulpit. You provoke thought better than anyone I know xoxoxoxo
I’m in….shit, this means I need to rethink this blog post!
@Laurie – not trying to steal your bully pulpit. You provoke thought better than anyone I know xoxoxoxo
Of all the ideas that has been mentioned, well, just like to add
this:
One of the best thing that we, HR Professionals, should do in
order for us to keep passionate, alive, wealthy($$), secured
and optimistic in our chosen field, is to let our self belong in;
1. Big Companies- with more than 2,000 employees
2. Multi National Companies
3. Manufacturing Industries
No need to elaborate why, coz u know exactly what my point is.
By the way:
What a brilliant ideas, that all of you shared in this topic.
Bravo!!
What does HR actually do? From the employee’s perspective, the best thing HR does is force people to attend pointless meetings where at least get the time off work and we may get mugs. I doubt if any employee could tell you why an HR department is anything other than a waste of everybody’s time and money.
Johnny — I helped to restructure departments, fired bosses who were lazy and ineffective, stood up for employees who received the sort end of the stick, and taught people how to be less passive-aggressive at work. I dunno. I didn’t cure cancer, and it’s not rocket science, but I earned my money. (Most of the time. Sometimes I just shopped on Zappos.)
bn/michael If you can pull this off, I want to be an early champion. xo/laurie
all wehave to do is figure out how.
The Mighty foot stompin’, brain shockin’, house rockin’ HR Rolling Thunder review?
i still have insomnia (sigh)
@michael and @Laurie and all what an interesting discussion over the last few days. I am so for the last few idea regarding the celebration of success in HR and blog about the rock stars. I just met 4 BIG rock stars in HR this week that are interviewing at a client. But, my blog this week was what the interviewers did WRONG instead of what the rock stars did RIGHT. So, guess what next week’s blog is about??
Keep the conversation going!! I think Laurie may even move back into HR
Great comments @michael and @Laurie and all what an interesting discussion over the last few days. I really like the the last few idea regarding the celebration of success in HR and blog about the rock stars. I just met 4 BIG rock stars in HR this week that are interviewing at a client. But, my blog this week was what the interviewers did WRONG instead of what the rock stars did RIGHT. So, guess what next week’s blog is about??
Keep the conversation going!! I think Laurie may even move back into HR
I think it’s dying because HR maintains the hierarchy and bureaucracy and people are sick of it (Gen X especially) and don’t want it any more.
@Cathy No way. No HR department would have me.
@GenX You are so right about that, sister.
Laurie,
Great discussion/debate ! Totally awesome !
Part of the problem, I see, with HR is HR is “stuck” and i don’t
see it moving forward at a very fast pace.
The main problem is lack of communication (with job seekers, primarily).
I have always maintained if someone is going to advertise something (product, service or job), be able to back it up and have the resources to do so.
HR Depts are still on the 9 to 5 mindset with 12 to 1 closed for lunch . They are scheduled Mon-Fri. Closed weekends, holidays and nights.
We’re in a 24/7 communication cycle. It’s appalling that HR folks aren’t available when people are. The answer that HR doesn’t answer an application “We’re too busy and don’t have the manpower.” So stuck in the past..
Working on research and development of a system that would put an end to this.
HR is changing. It’s not about policy and procedure or being the dress code police. It’s about becoming a serious player in the future of your company’s business and industry. That means being strategic and getting out from behind your desk. For some HR people who are focused on the filing and I-9 documents, this can be extremely scary. That is what HR specialists and generalists are for. These strategic thinkers need to be focused on bringing all aspects of the business together and pushing their people to want and do more. That means ruffling some feathers, taking some risks, and speaking your mind. Unless HR can do this, its future is in jeopardy.
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR
@blogging4jobs
http://www.blogging4jobs.com
@Keith Will be interesting to see your system that would put an end to this!
@Jessica Good thoughts. Thanks!
HR in and of itself cannot be dying – it is by design imperative to any business that relies on human capital for its success. The question is more relevantly asked as “are the people in HR dying?” Does HR as a profession really attract the best and brightest? Do highly capable, career driven, professionally ambitious, intellectually stimulating people see it as a venerable trade? Aside from Cornell IRL and a few business schools sprinkled here and there, how many institutions of higher learning are really investing in substantive HR programs. Is it the “typical destination” of MBA candidates…particularly those from top 10 schools. HBR had a good article a while back (http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2008/07/why-did-we-ever-go-into-hr/ar/1) written by two such candidates. The issue runs much deeper and until committed HR professionals contribute to fixing it at the root, we’ll be blogging about this for years to come…
Laurie,
The more I think about this the more I think you might be right. HR is dying which is exactly why I’ve left the corporate world to go out on my own as a consultant. HR in the next 18-24 months will be nothing like what it is today, and for people like you and me that is exciting but for the stick in the muds, it’s terrifying.
Keep up the good work.
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR
This may be too old school for you but Here’s an article on how Johnson and Johnson HR folks got a handle on skills needed at each hiring level
http://snurl.com/hrsurveys
Hai…. My guess is there will be loads of people on here that go “You got it”, “You nailed it”, “Spot on” etc etc etc. Most of them will be HR people. Most of them will be crap HR people. If you work in HR and think its dying in your business, know what? That’s your fault.
Maybe this is natural selection, weeding out all the pointless ineffective people. HR isn’t dead, it just smells that way…..
onlineuniversalwork
Is HR dying? I thought that paper pushing flunkie was dead years ago.