In 2005, Fast Company wrote a scathing review of the HR profession in an article titled: “Why We Hate HR.”
According to the author: “The human-resources trade long ago proved itself, at best, a necessary evil -- and at worst, a dark bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change. HR is the corporate function with the greatest potential -- the key driver, in theory, of business performance -- and also the one that most consistently under delivers. HR people are, for most practical purposes, neither strategic nor leaders.”
It’s 2013. Does HR still have an image problem?
Or is it an awareness problem?
While scenes from the NBC television series “The Office” and the comic strip “Dilbert” surely don’t help, many HR pros contend that that the profession is respected and lauded in organizations where it works closely with senior executives to accomplish goals.
As more companies are electing to outsource administrative functions, it’s important that HR transition into the role of strategic and operational business partner by understanding organizational challenges, delivering quality solutions and proving ROI through data and analytics.
The profession is rapidly changing and HR pros are responsible for shaping the perceptions about their profession.
Please join @weknownext at 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 9 for #Nextchat with special guests Laurie Ruettimann (@LRuettimann) and Tim Sackett (@TimSackett). We’ll chat about HR’s current image problem, why it exists, and what it will take to change it.
Q1. Does HR still have an image problem? If so, why?
Q2. What are the biggest misconceptions about the HR profession?
Q3. As an HR pro, what bothers you most about HR’s image problem?
Q4. Does gender play into the image problem? Why or how?
Q5 If you could change one thing about the HR profession, what would it be?
Q6 What steps can HR pros take to improve the profession’s image?
Q7. What advice would you give to people who are just entering the HR profession?
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