From my own sister
I get it. I’ve known it from the start. People don’t trust/like/understand HR. It’s never bothered me that much before, and I even joke about it at times. Instead, I choose to focus on doing my best for both the company and the employees. It’s all that I can do.
And then, tonight while out to dinner with my sister, she started talking about how she read something recently about how people don’t like HR. The conversation went as follows:
Sister: I just read about how some people feel that HR people are like Catbert you know. Nice to your face and then try to stab you in the back.
Me: Uh-huh.
Sister: So?
Me: So what?
Sister: Are you like that?
Et tu, sister? Et tu? I have to say, that hurt. And made me a little mad. What do you say to that? She apologized for saying it, but it got me thinking, is there anything else HR professionals can do? Are we stuck with this image? Sure, I try my best, but to be honest there are bad HR people. Also, to a certain extent, most people will have a bad run in with HR in their career, simply because we have to deliver bad news. Layoffs? HR. Disciplinary action? HR. Communicate unfavorable policies? HR.
So here are my suggestions for improving our image:
-Hold an annual “Hug an HR professional” day
-Have candy on us at all times to hand out
-Walk around with puppies or other equally cute baby animals
I know that people won’t always like us and that’s okay. We can’t do anything about that. But trust and respect, that we can do something about. Like The HR Capitalist said, it is up to all of us to not be that stereotype.
