HR isn’t evil.

I often hear managers and employees say that HR are “evil” – they don’t mean it literally, but as a descriptor that encompasses many beliefs formed when working with HR.
 
In fact, when I was a VP in HR someone told me that our HR team was now “less evil” – a compliment, I think.
 
But why do people think HR are evil?

Because HR:

1. Instigate rules and procedures and nudge everyone to follow them – but these rules, policies and procedures are often designed to ensure the company doesn’t break the law.
2. They often “stop” the over-the-top, wild joy at events, parties, and social activities – when the reality is many of these “stops” are simply designed to avoid breaking laws (think health and safety, decency, equality etc).
3. They are often described as “transactional” – when the reality is HR are often overwhelmed with requests and workload – often about stuff that frankly, many people could sort for themselves.
4. They are often cited as not adding value or being aligned to what the company is doing – when the reality is many executives don’t include HR in strategic decisions, seeing them as a supporting role rather than a strategic partner.
5. They are often cited as siding with the business when it comes to performance or disciplinary action – this is to be expected - they work for the business.

And here’s the crux of why HR are sometimes described as evil – they work for the business. 
 
Their primary goal is to prevent the business being sued, or in breach of laws. They exist to protect the business. They do valuable work to ensure compliance to laws and procedures.
 
And the interesting thing here is that we all work for the business to achieve these goals and more, so why the drama?
 
The HR world has rebranded in recent years to various names such as “People” (not bad), “Talent Management” (really?) and “Employee Development” (hmm). This shows how HR are trying to move away from merely legal, transactional, recruitment type work to more personnel development.
 
This is a good move, but it doesn’t hide the fact that HR exist to support the business and stop the business getting into trouble. The more we can understand HR goals and objectives, the more we can appreciate why things are often the way they are.
 
However, certainly in recent years, HR have started to move SO far into the “people” world that they are causing new problems. I can see why.

When I was studying for a Diploma in HR, the course material very much paints a picture that HR are the owners of personnel development, recruitment, retention, and the like. I couldn’t disagree more.
 
That’s a manager’s job supported by HR.
 
HR cannot possibly know your people as well as you do as a manager (unless it’s a small business).
 
Who knows the domain of work better? HR or you, the manager?
 
Who is studying and observing your team’s behaviours – you or HR?
 
In recent years I’ve seen HR over-rule managers regarding new hires. The manager has said “not in my team” to a potential candidate and HR have said “yes – they are perfect”. How dis-empowering is that? How terrible that must be for the new starter - already on the back foot with their new manager.
 
I’ve seen HR roll out learning management systems, full of courses, that don’t address specific needs. A “catch all” approach to learning that simply doesn’t change behaviours in the business. It meets a number though but are people getting better at doing their job?
 
I’ve seen HR decide to go "agile" and roll this out globally as a new way of working, without anyone in the team knowing much, if anything at all, about business agility.
 
I’ve seen HR influence executives to make strategic and cultural business changes based on Employee Engagement scores, which they have started to use as leading business indicators. Here's why changing strategies and ways of working to improve Employee Engagement scores is a terrible idea.

This use of Engagement scores leads the business to put people’s “happiness and engagement” above delivering business results (and in one specific company I worked, that resulted in the business tanking quickly). Does achieving a high engagement score and poor business results count as a success? I don’t think so - balance must be sought.
 
HR have levers to pull that can bring about change, through great initiatives carefully designed to support the business. But there comes a point when engagement, retention and succession planning are the very essence of a manager’s role. Not HR.
 
HR are not evil, but when they take away the responsibilities from management, they certainly can screw things up.

HR exist to protect the business as their first goal - and then to provide brilliant initiatives and management training to bring about retention, engagement, and career development.
 
There are two sides to HR and knowing these is important for career growth, delivery and building better relationships with them.
 
HR will always side with what is right for the business - and it pays to know this. It puts you in a great position to embrace them, work with them and know how to align with them.
 
HR is essential. Management is too. And when they both work in harmony, you get an amazing place to work.