HR In the worldplace

Today I had coffee with the VP HR at LoyaltyOne. We talked a lot about the position HR tends to get in the workplace, and the stigma people have about HR professionals (being sappy social workers) and how to deal with it.

It brought back to the forefront of my mind just how much work an HR person has to do to be seen as an equal in the business world. It's really rare for HR to be a strategic partner like the wonderful folks at LoyaltyOne. One thing that came up today that I think I've avoided thinking about however, is the fault of people in HR for these stigmas. When HR started out, it consisted of people who knew nothing of HR, they were accountants and marketers and engineers. So there couldn't have been that stereotype that HR people are thoughtless and have no understanding of the rest of the organization - because they'd come from other departments!

So what must have happened is the people who began training in social work, sociology, and psychology that came into HR by way of other positions and generally in my understanding through fluke that had no knowledge of other aspects of the business. They didn't know about any aspect of business because they'd come from another field - they were specialists. So I guess from that grew the assumption that we're all social workers who hire, fire, and pay employees, and the most we contribute is planning the annual company BBQ.

But today's meeting also motivated me, since I'm seeing more and more people going into HR understanding the strategic role it plays, rather than the people who go into it because they want to be in business but don't like math. Whatever, you guys make me look better.