Human Resources (HR) departments don’t always have a positive reputation. In fact, many employees hate them or avoid them at all costs and only view them as an occasional intermediary.
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This is likely due to pervasive myths about these departments. Below are four of them debunked.
1. HR Only Cares About Compliance and Enforcing Policies, Not People
Many employees think that their HR departments are only there to ensure they are complying with local and federal legal requirements and that they complete necessary safety and compliance training programs.
However, many HR professionals work to develop policies that are geared toward more inclusive and respectful company cultures—policies that may not always seem straightforward because they take real human behavior and concerns into account. HR professionals think of themselves as career consultants and coaches, too.
2. HR Doesn’t Understand the Business of Its Organization
Employees and managers often think that HR works independently of its own departments and that it doesn’t fully understand the business needs of these departments.
However, this isn’t the case when it comes to effective HR departments, as HR must always understand the talent needs and concerns of all segments across the organization.
If HR is going to be effective at hiring new employees, promoting employees, reassigning employees, terminating employees, creating succession plans, determining employees’ career objectives, etc., then it must know what each department’s business goals are.
3. HR Only Handles Paperwork and Employee Disciplinary Issues
With recent years’ evolution of human capital management, HR does a lot more than handle personnel files and information. It uses people analytics and insights to offer employee development as a service, offers highly personalized approaches and strategies for a more agile workforce, and is quickly becoming a hub for organizational innovation and growth—among many other things that are more people-oriented and less administrative. HR does much more than hire, fire, or reprimand employees in today’s modern workforce.
4. HR Will Become Obsolete Soon
Some professionals think that HR departments will become obsolete because newer artificial intelligence platforms and self-service tools will be able to screen and interview job applicants, keep employees informed, keep track of employee information, and much more.
However, newer investments in HR technology will make these departments and professionals even more necessary, as they will still be needed to keep the “human intelligence” in HR while using newer and more advanced tech.
For additional details and insight, read “5 Ways AI Keeps HR Humane.”
Although it’s true that HR departments are evolving and have many responsibilities, the myths about them can be easily dispelled.