In 2005, a British writer named Keith Hammonds wrote an article called “Why we Hate HR.” It quickly became the shot heard round the world, arguing that HR has lost its strategic vision and functioned more as a process than as a leader, focusing instead on actions instead of outcomes. The article received widespread coverage in the press, and its arguments have become the subject of academic debate. Let’s explore a few reasons why we hate HR.

Employee resentment

There are many reasons why employees resent HR. It seems as though HR is a non-revenue generating corporate behemoth, tucked away in an office, and is supposed to serve employees. The word “HR” implies that humans are treated as a resource, and if they aren’t being used efficiently, companies will look for cheaper, better, or more efficient resources to fill the same position. This is simply not acceptable for employees. They want to be treated like human beings and not as pawns.

Ineffectiveness

The ineffectiveness of HR has many causes, but if you look at them in the right way, it can be fixed. One of these reasons is that it doesn’t have the resources to focus on the most important priorities for the business. Instead of focusing on administrative efficiency and cost savings, HR must become a champion for the employees, representing employee concerns to senior management. Moreover, HR should strive to improve employee contribution, which is an indicator of the commitment of employees to the business and ability to deliver results. Ultimately, HR should become an agent of continuous transformation, shaping processes and culture in the organization.

Fear-based motivators

There are two main reasons why people hate HR. The first is that the personnel in HR have little training and little experience. They frequently send out memos, which only increase distrust and resentment. The second reason is that most HR personnel were pulled from another department, so there’s no experience or training behind their actions. And, last but not least, employees don’t know how to communicate with HR personnel.

Lack of business knowledge

Why do we hate HR? The answer may surprise you. One of the most common reasons is that we lack the necessary business knowledge to perform HR functions well. The government has a thicket of labor regulations: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Fair Labor Standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Family and Medical Leave Act, and ERISA. In 2005, Hay Group surveyed more than 2,000 employees to find out what they thought about their employers and their job satisfaction. Although employees praised their employers for retaining quality workers, only 41% said their performance evaluations were fair and 58% rated their job training as good. Most employees said they had few opportunities for advancement or didn’t know what it took to advance. Only half of employees below manager level believed their companies cared about their well-being.

Inability to change culture

It is a well-known fact that HR has little power to change culture, and this fact often gets the blame for poorly performing teams. While leaders claim to champion change, they tend to be similar to their staff on a daily basis, often falling back into the same “command and control” habits that have served them well in the past. Furthermore, executive teams often fail to win the support of employees on the front lines and in the second tiers of leadership. If these two factors are not addressed, the culture will continue to deteriorate, and there will be little change.

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