Why we still hate HR
A few years ago, while reviewing my graduate school reading and research, I came across an article titled “Why We Hate Human Resources” by Keith H. Hammonds. In his extensive look at human resources, primarily from the point of view of a large corporation, he described human resources as “a shadowy bureaucratic force that blindly enforces meaningless rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change.” “. Oh!
From where I stand, training entrepreneurs, mentoring women entrepreneurs, and talking to job seekers, I have to say we still hate HR. Let me tell you why.
HR people still don’t get it. As a group, they still don’t understand what the company does, who the customers are, and what the main drivers of the business are. I base this assessment on calls I receive from clients that begin with the words: “You’ll never believe what HR did this time.” The HR professionals I’ve talked to over the past few years have a mind-boggling understanding of paperwork, regulations, and dodging phone calls. However, once they look outside of their own office, they seem puzzled.
There is still a bias towards “efficiency” rather than value. Human resources offices are based on the number of training hours they provide, not the results delivered. They seem to collect job applications and process candidates in a way designed to demonstrate their own competence and not as a conduit for needed talent. Automated systems can make it easier to outsource HR administrative tasks, but they don’t necessarily add value.
Most importantly, HR isn’t working for you yet. As a profession, HR still abhors exceptions, flexibility, and individuality. Maybe it’s the constant fear of legal action, or maybe it’s just too much work. Whatever the reason, HR doesn’t work for candidates or current employees, and sadly, it doesn’t work well for the companies that pay their salaries. The two HR-related tasks my client base complains about the most are performance reviews and the hiring process.
Getting the Job: The Hiring Process: HR continues to create hiring and selection processes that are so standardized that they weed out candidates who don’t easily fit standardized forms. The result, creative, flexible, and entrepreneurial-minded candidates never quite catch up and make it to decision makers. HR primarily functions as a gatekeeper and probably discards more talent than any of us realize.
Do the job performance review: Somehow, somewhere, someone needs to teach managers how to use appraisal tools and how to do good employee performance reviews. HR maybe? It doesn’t seem likely. It’s a complaint I’ve been hearing for years, from entry level to middle managers. Reviews are not done on time, or at all. Managers don’t seem to know what to say, how to advise, or where to go for help. It seems that completing forms on time and not employee development is the goal of the review process.
The global economy is brutally competitive. To truly excel, companies need to hire the best talent, train them well and continuously, and retain them. Based on what I see in my corner of the world, it’s not happening. And that’s why we still hate HR.