We’re going to be a bit superficial and judgmental, today. I want to know — what does the typical HR person look like? That’s right. I am asking you to talk about appearances. Look around your office and report back to me.
- When you look at your Human Resources department, what do you see?
It’s not all cat sweaters and sensible shoes. (Or is it?) I wonder if you see diversity? How about competence and professionalism? Do you see stylish clothes? Do you see anyone under the age of forty? Do you think any of the HR people in your office can hang with executives?
Let. Me. Know!
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Ha — I am happy to report that we have no Tobys! Really, we’re relatively young and hip and smart compared to the stereotype. Only a sprinkling of cat sweaters. I think our team is smart, talented and well-intentioned. However, we are very good at reacting. We think inside the box and we don’t usually question why we are doing what we do; we try our damndest to do HR well, we just don’t usually question “what is it that HR should be doing?”
An employee took a photo of me with a temporary arm band tatoo that I wore to work one day (just for fun) and titled it “HR has gone hard core”. I’m 33, not hard core and wear jeans and flip flops on Fridays. You will NEVER see me in a cat sweater!
Ha! Cat sweaters?
NO WAY JOSE!
I’m a one man show in our office, but let me tell you, being an HR Manager in the PR industry compells you, no let me rephrase, forces you to be dressed in a very hip and smart way.
No, it doesn’t mean suits, it means personalised, unique but also smart. I love dressing in chic black and accessorizing it with some funky jewellry. And I do get a lot of compliments, although we are in the PR industry where everyone is very sarcastic and critical about everything and everyone!
I see sexy.
Here’s my deal, at the end of the day I don’t care what people look like, I care about results, however different appearances can (I’m not saying it’s right) hinder results. I dress very professionally. I’m the only dude in a 60 mile radius that wears French cuffs. I wear clean, pressed shirts, suits, and freshly shined shoes. I do this for three reasons:
1. With a face like mine it’s better to dress nice (@jmdcomedy on twitter for a pic)
2. Mom always told me to dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and well the big earners that don’t wear nice suits are the exception rather than the rule.
3. There’s a reason that POTUS wears a suit, and not a t-shirt when interacting with other dignitaries. Again, I’m not saying it’s right, but being well dressed has a subconcious cultural predisposition to create an aura of respect.
As for our team here, all very competent, but many underdress and I’ve seen that create an uphill battle to establish their credibitily and expertise with leadership.
Of course you ask this on the day that I’m leaving early and strolled in with cargo capri pants, a fleece jacket, and Merrell sandals.
My HR office is business casual, but I’m not usually quite THIS casual…
Pretty non-descript golf shirts and khakis. In fact, the golf shirt is even khaki today. But I’m wearning totally rad underwear and, just to annoy my wife, I have two days worth of a hilariously ironic hipster mustache… a bit of a fu man chu. I have four people in my department including me. They all kind of look like the cities they’re in rather than their department. The Pittsburgh person is a Caucasian lady in her 50′s and loves hard rock and the Steelers. The West Virginia person is a Caucasian lady in her 30′s and into her church and family. The Houston person is a Latina in her 20′s.
Appearance isn’t that big of a deal in an engineering firm. I was once called a metrosexual because I noticed that I had accidentally put on a black belt with brown shoes in the morning. Though I do agree with Pufnfstuff — look at what your boss wears (or your boss’ boss). If you want that job one day, take your cues there.
Ok, so I have on a tailored suit and shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt of Jermeyn Street which is par for the course, interspersed with Gieves and Hawkes from Saville Row. When I sit around the board table I want to be setting the pace, not wiping soup off my sleeve.
The oldest person in my team is 35 and, they are all fashionable and stylish, well groomed, well presented (and attractive as those who have ever read my blog will know)!!!!
We set the standards in what we wear, how we look and how we behave and I’m sure that passes on into our work and our effectiveness. Like it or not, image is everything.
I’m often told that I am the coolest HR director many employees have known – it is such a compliment I hold dear. I’ll be 40 next year and don’t consider myself very cool or hip, but I do pride myself on trying to not be a stick in the mud, always by the book, HR pain in the behind. I bring my heart to the job and can be a bit unorthodox. However, I have a ton of administrative stuff that just has to get done. Thinking outside the box for that stuff is a challenge – even though I outsource as much of it as I can. I am also a strategic partner to the executives, but some of them WAY our weigh me in brain power. So I try to play to my strengths – which really is that I am great with people and extremely organized. As far as how I dress, it’s nothing to brag about, but definitely no cat sweaters. I prefer dogs!
I’m so glad I never dressed like any of my bosses.
i accidentally wore my pajama top to work one day and no one noticed…..
i will unabashedly state that if you are in recruiting – i think looks totally matter. i wear black…almost every day because i think it is slightly intimidating, sort of artsy and easy to accessorize with all the cheap crap i pick up at target on my lunch hour. HR does set the tone to some degree – and i am happy to do that by waking up each day and attempting to out-dress the interns in our marketing department. it’s just one of the small ways i try to bring it for the good of the company.
I work in a Massive HR office. Most people are Florida business casual which equates to suburban mall outfits. It is the end of United Way fundraising, so there are more jeans and stuff sicne you can by your way into them for $1 a day.
We have a unique mix of people since we have a somewhat unique culture based on “promote from within”. This means that meany of the people in HR came into the function from other areas. Wide mix of age, gender, less so of race, altho that mix is pretty good too.
Function is very specialized. Technically competent and efficient.
Oh, and out CEO and President eat lunch in the cafeteria, where we all get a “free” lunch every day!
Although our exec team is the typical golf shirt and khaki crowd, our HR dept tries to step it up a bit. As employee relations manager, I need to be welcoming, but also factual and appropriate, so I try to balance our business casual dress code with a few sharp edges. I wear glasses so I don’t look as young, I wear heels and tailored clothes. I try to be sharp in appearance and presentation — concise and compact, whether in front of our exec committee or an emplyoee that needs guidance.
The rest of our HR dept is post-60, grandmotherly, peer over the reading glasses type. I wonder what it says that the people in our HR dept have hidden tattoos?
We’re not the most “popular” kids in school, but I think we’re all of middle to high attractiveness (me being at the high end of course), and all very smart in our own way. Big pop culture nerds, and a pretty high disdain for stupidity, which we laugh over as we isolate ourselves from the rest of our business partners during our closed door lunches! I’m definitely the youngest in my department, and I think my casual-yet-professional dress style initially was met w/ resistance – but slowly my way is winning.
@ sarah – I’m the same way! I try to “class up” our jeans-every-day environment w/ “sharp edges” as you said
Again, my mother is the best example i know. she’s near retiring though but is quite stylish (way better than me actually) and she loves to laugh.
She knows how to get what she wants out of her employees and she’s extremely warm yet professional and respected. i want to be just like her
The only HR person I have ever had to deal with was my way cool and awesome cousin. She is a pretty snappy dresser and would take me for ice cream breaks in the afternoon. I think if all HR people took employees for ice cream breaks the office would be a happy place, if not a little bit chubby. Where I work now there is no HR person. The closest thing is my sweaty, gold chain wearing, needs to button one more more button on his shirt, hairy, chauvanist pig boss……
I am the whole HR department in my business-casual office. I look like a 50 year old white woman who dresses stylishly, casually, but age-appropriately. Suits when needed, which thankfully isn’t often. (us 50 year old women are prone to hot flashes). Open-toe shoes ’til there’s frost on the ground. Most days, black or khaki dress pants, easy to accessorize. Jeans on Friday.
If I look around my office for HR people I only see me and of course I see hawt.
If I look around the company and include the training folks I see some diversity. We’re mostly women with the exception of two dudes and the backgrounds vary by region.
We are a stylish bunch for the most part. It’s split about half on under/over 40 and yes most of us can hang with the executives because our executives can hang with us. Our executives are not stuffy suits, when they are in my office they pull up a chair we talk college football and share M&Ms. Our CEO gave me the fist bump before he left last week, he’s cool.
It’s funny you should ask because I often find myself at HR functions noticing the vast difference in what HR people look like. There is the young hip crowd, who almost always have some cool funky hairstyle – and then there is the old school crowd – very school marmy. Not a lot in between either. There are usually not very many younger folks, but the numbers are growing. HR seems to be a profession that people fall into accidentally. There are a few of us who actually majored in it – what was I thinking???? In my company, the HR group at the management level is fairly hip and can most definitely hang with executives. The HR group at the Administrator level is more the school marmy type.
Casual Fridays is the best time to walk around the HR department with a camera and take pictures of plump sized people wearing acid washed jeans, running shoes, and Bill Cosby type sweaters.
We’re the next generation of HR folks, and we’re not going to take the golf shirts anymore. We are HR – we are young, we are strong (heartache-to-heartache we stand…). I make it a rule not to wear black (although I totally love the idea of recruiters wearing it!). I own no black or brown shoes. I work with designers and sometimes interviewees ask for clarification on who’s the HR person during group interviews. I don’t blend in and I even occasionally stand out. I rally for the right of employees to wear jeans and flip-flops (on days when we don’t have to present to clients) – because they are adults and know what is appropriate to wear. And on days when I want to feel extra-professional, trust me, I’m straight outta the J.Crew suit section with sassy red heels (roar).
Folks notice when HR looks rad and steps out from behind the khaki curtain – almost as much as they notice when HR acts rad.
Also, if you wear shoulder pads, watch out. We’re coming for your job…
I hardly ever see HR at my company, as they are ensconced on their own floor that I only go to for interviews. When I’ve seen them, though? Young, though that isn’t surprising since the company skews pretty young (I’m 30 and am more or less in the middle as the age distribution goes). Usually in suits, dark suits tending to be most prevalent (again, due to company culture — we have a pretty strict dress code).
I see 4 smart interns who are now part of the regular staff (all in their 20′s), 2 more interns working toward grad degrees in OD, a couple of mid level boomers – grinding out the tactical stuff, and 3 very sharp boomer sr. execs that run circles around every exec at their level in the company….I am sooooo Proud of my team! Oh they dress better then everyone in the organization too…
Oh sorry you wanted a description not a bragging session…
M
I look around and I see dead people.
I am the tattooed, pink streaks in my hair young (24) HR chick. I dress my version of business casual most days. The other women in my department are all in their fifties, and generally dress like they live in a Chicos.
Our big shots do the whole dress pants and button down shirts everyday…but I know better….I’ve seen their Facebook pictures, ha!
I am HR at my company – I typically dress “suitish” but with an attitude meaning brightly colored shirts/blouses and interesting jackets instead of matchy-matchy, colorful heels (usually peep toe), and modern jewelry/accessories.
@sarah I’m over 60 but NOT grandmotherly (though I am a grandmother) and do not peer over my reading glasses. I’ll put myself up against those with hidden tattoos any day.
And I can hold my own with the execs.
No cat sweaters on HR where I’ve worked. Jeans and stylish blouses, twinsets, etc. Casual Friday type stuff, for the most part.
Does HR have the rep of being primarily made up of frumpy old ladies? That’s never been my experience.
On our HR team we have a good mix of age, race but not so much on sex ( more F than M). Dress is smart casual which tends to be a step above the general workforce. Able to hang with the execs who dress a little more business like.
As for me, I used to dress more professional until I realized that while it may have good to be taken more seriously it wasn’t the main reason people related to me. Meaning it was more about who I was and what I brought to the conversation than what I was wearing.
I must admit I’m not a fashion plate to begin with but know when to step up my more casual look when needed.
Bottom line: our HR team is known for what we do and not that we look GQ doing it. Would that be substance over style?!!!
Um, well, it’s just me in HR. Ebay is my crack, so I will spend hours scouring there for bargains on clothes from Boden or Anthropologie since I like to be professional but creative. Some days I wear jeans & shiny purple Converses. Some days I’ll wear a skirt and sweater (no cats), but always with a creative spin. If I’m having a really hard time getting out of bed, I’ll throw on my moto boots with a dress so I can pretend like I’m a rockstar. Gets me through the day.
When I go to HR conferences, I see alot of women still wearing the matchy-match suit. Or a lot of men who look like they just rolled out of bed and have barely combed their hair (they’re typically the city/county employees). I think it’s important to tune in to what the company culture is. Maybe the matchy-match dressers work in matchy-match companies. We changed our dress code to be more casual, except for client meetings, so I try to bridge a style between managers and staff since, really, my job is somewhere in the middle, too. Managers tend to still wear their ties alot, so I try to wear a dress or skirt a couple days a week, and then I make sure to wear jeans a couple days since most employees wear jeans everyday.
And I HATE khakis. You will never see me in those. Or a golf shirt. I’m getting heebie jeebies just thinking about it. My company tried to make everyone wear our matching company golf shirts for a recruiting fair. NO FREAKING WAY. They look fine on men (to a point). Not so much on women. And completely goofy for recruiting at a college fair. Let’s show some personality, not an ugly shirt that NONE of the women attending the fair would choose to wear on their own time.
I am one of two individuals on our HR team and we are as different looking as night and day. I am in my thirties, heavily (and visibly) tattooed, with facial piercings. Goth girl all grown up with all black every day and Bettie Page bangs; my version of business casual, but you’ll never take my combat boots from me.
My boss is in her early fifties and is extremely well-dressed and polished. High-end designer kind of stuff that gives me the googly eyes when I think about it, like a more tailored Felicia Rashad. Very poised, very professional. She can (and does) hang with executives.
We are a very odd couple, but we work well together.
I will base my answer on my previous employer, since I am not working rignt now. If I talked about the REAL right now, I would be talking about pajamas (yes, I’m still wearing mine) and dog hair.
I was an HR department of ONE in my previous job. I wore what I wanted to wear every day. I varied my clothing based on what I thought my day was going to entail. If it was a day for a court appearance or workers comp hearing, I wore a business suit. If I had to be in the production area for any length of time, blue jeans and sensible shoes were required. I dealt with/screamed at the “executives” (2 owners/partners) every single day. They wore jeans and/or khakis. Actually, I was the only one in the entire company that ever “dressed up.” We were definitely down and dirty, lean and mean.
Results, not appearances, were the only thing that mattered. I never even noticed what job applicants were wearing. Unless it was a cat sweater.
My HR guy wears a suit. He also has no problems being taken seriously.
HR of just me… today very stylish in my high heeled tan boots and brand-new butterfly tattoo where I get to wear my hair up and show it off on the back of my neck!! All business and love to out-dress my plain blue suit execs. They do so love my intimidation and high fashion sense
I’m early 30′s and need to dress well to give that first impression that I really do know what the hell I’m talking about. Definately no cat/halloween/santa clause/dog/bird sweaters (gag).
Casual Friday = cool jeans and black tee-shirt that reads “banned books closes windows”
Diversity? Token male in a team of 16 females. I’m taken seriously when I can get a word in…!
From the employee POV:
Job 1: HR was wearing blinders and didn’t want to rock the boat. Clueless individuals.
Job 2: Very professional and knowledgeable of laws, options, benefits, etc. I always knew I could get a correct answer to my question(s). Well-dressed and on-the-ball.
Job 3: Worst. Place. Ever. The head of HR was married to the third-party recruiter for our company. Conflict of interest, perhaps? She dressed like she was trying to relive high school and had no shame walking around the office showing blueprints for the kitchen she and hubby were having remodeled. A b-tch in sheep’s clothing, to put it politely.
Job 4: Never saw HR. They were housed in a building on the other side of town. Seriously. I still wouldn’t know one of them if I passed them on the street.
Current: No complaints.
Regardless, I want my HR representative to look like they know what they’re talking about when I’m talking with them, and sometimes that means dressing the part. It’s a two-way street and if I’m expected to appear a certain way for MY customers, I’d like the same from them, being that I am THEIR customer.
@Kristy I love how you leverage your engagement in HR and think inside the box.
@Bonita I’m 34 and suddenly cat sweaters and elastic waistbands are looking quite practical. D’oh!
@Maria Your blog name should be HR Fashion Diva.
@Amanda I see sexy, too.
@Puf I’m impressed by the french cuffs when they go with the Chippendale’s outfit. I agree with you about dressing for the job you want. Good advice.
@Stephanie I knew someone would be rocking fleece, today. That’s how it goes. If it wasn’t you, it would be someone else.
@Scott The barista @ my Starbucks (a boy around ~21 yrs old) is now rocking a fake hipster mustache and I can’t help but stare at it. I might have more of a mustache. It’s a pathetic looking sight and I want him to shave it off.
@TheHRD Your clothes might cost more than my house. Whew!
@Megan My grandmother has some cute dog brooches if you want to borrow one. Just say the word and I can transform your wardrobe!
@HRU I once wore a sundress and tights to work — in January — and I paired it with a sweater from the Gap and Dansko clogs. I was told that I looked ‘youthful’. My boss asked, “Did you do your hair, today?”
@Amy I was the queen of black as a recruiter. It’s easy and fashionable. I’m with you 100%.
@MIchael I hated spending $1 to wear jeans. I’m like, whatever breast cancer, I’m not paying to wear casual clothing.
@sarah Good for you. I fear the days when I’ll be using reading glasses and wearing my Target fleece sweaters at the office.
@Dan I support you!
@Katie Aw shucks, I miss those ice cream days. So long ago. Makes me want to cry, kinda. How did I get this old? How did *you* get this old?
@Karen Whoa, I want to be like your mom, too!
@Susanne I believe in building a wardrobe around temps. I’m always cold. You’ll never see me in a sleeveless t-shirt.
@adowling Whoa that’s a pretty good team. I like M&Ms. You are totes hawt.
@Kristen I know what you mean about the middle-ground. If no one notices me, I consider that to be a successful HR networking event.
@Glennlist We don’t make fun of plump people here on PRHR — but we do make fun of acid washed jeans.
@Lindsay I want to make you a banner that says F–K YOU KHAKI!
@Tim Oh to be young and able to fit into suits… I remember those days.
@Mark F BRAG AWAY. That’s awesome.
@MattyMat ROFL
@InkedHR Hey, Chico’s offers style and comfort at an affordable price.
@Bev Of course you can! That’s why you read Punk Rock HR.
@Elise Yup, HR is mostly frumpy old ladies — in the manufacturing sector, at the very least.
@HRJefe Substance over style? God forbid!
@H Aria I rock Eddie Bauer khaki capris during the summer because, well, I’m lazy. Otherwise I’m with you — no matchy match and no frump.
@magpie I love it. Play on one another’s strengths.
@Joan You are lucky. I notice what people are wearing because I think clothes make a statement — although I will say that I resist the movement towards a more formal biz environment because employees should spend LESS on clothing. When I hear an executive bemoan the current ‘look’ of his/her employees, I tell him/her to pay the employees more money or institute a uniform.
@Mary Ellen You are lucky!
@Teresa CUTE!
@NZ I don’t cry for you, Argentina. The ‘token guy’ in HR benefits from being seen as the strategic thinker among women. Maybe I need to do a post on this?
@Simone You should write a book!
Our org is truly the definition of biz casual so not a whole lot of snazzy dressers at work (some are for sure – including our Pres). But when I think of HR as a group in my city – I envision my SHRM chapter meetings or local seminars/conferences. Frumps rule. I loved the school marm comparison.. cuz that is the look of HR to a T in my city.
My favorite HR head was a fiftysomething woman who looked like Doris Day – seriously, JUST like her. Wore a strand of pearls to work almost every day. Same hair, same voice.
But she was Miranda Priestly in Doris Day’s clothes. If she told me the sky was blue, I went outside to check.
Then again, my last HR “lady” was a very handsome guy who had biceps that were the size of a Cooper Mini, and dressed in Hugo Boss and Banana Republic every day. So stereotypes are made to be broken.
Hmm…it might be fun for everyone to wear cat sweaters on April 1. I’m not sure we even have anyone over 40 in HR – and HR is big. If they are over 40, they look damn good for their age. Mostly competent folks with a few people that you wonder how they managed to get passed the interview stage. Way more female than male by 10:1.
Interesting Laurie. Post on the male/female divide in HR I dare you!
We only have one HR person. She has a nickname: ‘The Fixer’, and her team profile is one of a that woman from Flashdance pretending to weld. The CEO is decked out like a Native American Indian, so they get on well. Im not kidding. http://www.hubcapdigital.com
An HR Dept. for me means communicative people who can make eye contact with a dash of humor. It means cooperation and proper coordination of all internal HR team efforts towards meeting business goals.
A company should show hints of the existence of HR initiatives and not just employment letters, connfirmations, tansfers, exits etc. A newsletter be it online or in print…where people of the organasation mingle and have fun bonding. It doesn’t always mean that money is the criteria…pool in …is also a success.
HR means involving all employees with all corporate news and ask for suggestions. HR is the mediator and needs to link and control all discrepancies at all levels.
In looks ..it depends on what is the dress code ..each company has it’s own identity..some are formal, semi-formal or fully casual. But whatever it may be HR has to look professionally smart in any attire. There is no compromise on HR’s work attire.
Facial expressions..pleasant and smiling, emotionless at times but covered with the cream of empathy.
When it comes to age …Recruiting team should have the appeal of marketing guys….sell and get the best talent. They should be young and energetic.
The Generalist…needs to look mature and feel with empathy and possess great counseling skills..great listener.
The HR dept should be pro-active and have ability to be ahead of others and less clutter the better. It should be accountable and repectful to all departments they have transactions with.
The bottom line would be that the HR needs to always be competitive in the market of the other ….company HR’s…they need to incorporate viable human resource strategies.
@Robin I dunno. Sometimes frump is just so easy and practical. I love it.
@Patrick I want your last HR lady.
@Calshana HR Cat Sweater Day!
@NZ Hmmmm…. maybe.
Laurie — you now I understand why I think it’s funny and my wife does not…more specifically, I think it’s funny BECAUSE she does not. This is not a good look for me. I’ll be cleanshaven by Sunday.
No cat sweaters and actually a very inviting looking staff !! The head of HR is over 40, but is mistakenly thought of not even being close to over 40. The environment is full of personal touchs ranging from great family pictures to a fully functional lava lamp, magic 8 ball and a sword hanging on the office wall. Not your typical HR fit at all . . . and it never will be. In order to be vital, we remain integrated !!
40 but looks much younger, fit, African-American woman, sleek, stylish, hip.
Small. Furry. Beady, shifty little eyes. Sharp pointy teeth.
HR are all weasels…
Since I have a part time job as a hairdresser, besides being full time in HR, I tend to have hair that has streaks of blue, purple or green in it depending on my mood and amount of color fade-age. My company is very casual and low key so I can wear jeans, have tattoos and wear various shades of black often. It’s a very handy fringe benefit in my opinion. I think most people here feel more comfortable with that type of image than a suit. I know I do.
I see diversity-African American; But, as far as competence and professionalism? It wavers. I do see some hoochie-mama outfits on this under-forty gal, which isn’t professional….