Why I Hate HR

Blunders and inefficacies are hardly news in the world of HR. It’s quite possible that disingenuous techniques employed by an HR department in your past have influenced where you are (or aren’t) today. But don’t worry…your professional future isn’t in danger if you look out for yourself!

The Big “Duh”

I guess you could say that the health of the business is largely a reflection of how well HR does its job. That is, the best and brightest are not only attracted, but also retained, which has a direct impact on the company’s success! You, as an employee, are one of your employer’s largest financial investments. Are you treated like one?

The Point

The bottom line, though, is that most HR people are not businesspeople. They focus on activities instead of what they’re actually delivering. I’m willing to bet that the majority of “development days,” classes and other such events produce a negative ROI. A personal experience that comes to mind involved a nifty little exercise on how to shake hands properly.

Most HR people like to say that they are strategic partners in the businesses they inhabit when their ideas and directives are completely contrary to those that make business succeed. For example, there are the policies whose goal is to standardize a group of people who are by nature diverse and dynamic. Sound familiar?

If you want to read more about what’s wrong with HR as we know it, check out this article: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/97/open_hr.html.

Please don’t get me wrong. There are companies out there doing it right. Hopefully you have worked with or are currently working for an organization like that. If not, I’d like to hear about it. Better yet, call in and share your story on 1/8/08 from 9:00 to 10:00 PM EST when my co-host and I coach callers and discuss their most outrageous stories from current or former job search campaigns.

By the way, you probably guessed it...this special inaugural show is titled WHY I HATE HR!