I have officially been outside the walls of corporate HR for almost 6 months. I guess because I no longer wear an official HR hat, other business professionals – like CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s, business owners, leadership in general – now feel comfortable telling me what they really think about the HR function. What I am hearing makes me very sad.
The following is a list of direct quotes that I have heard:
When I was still but a young pup in the burgeoning world of HR, just recently renamed from the dreaded “personnel”, I worked for a crusty old fart, whose name I will protect because I actually like the guy. He was about as traditional as they come. He was stubborn, believed in the class line between management and employees, and had a very clear idea of what he wanted, so woe is ye who stood in his way! And, he did not care one iota what anyone thought of him. We were a little (ok, a lot) intimidated by his large physical presence, his booming voice and his very direct attitude. Well, he called me into his office not long after I started working for him, not unlike being called into the principal’s office, and he said to me, as he roared out a big belly laugh, “You know, I like you. You’ve got moxie!” I said, “Thanks! I appreciate the compliment (I think).” But inside the bubble atop my head was, “What the heck is moxie?”