Do HR people ever face consequences for poor decisions?
Outside of obvious screw ups like the Astronomer HR lady, does HR ever feel the consequences of their poor decisions in the workplace? I think being mid-senior HR is an amazing job (if your personality is cut out for it) - you seem to work around 40 hours a week doing make work tasks, you aren't stressed out by the markets/failed products, you get great pay (maybe not as much as a rainmaker MD but solid 6 figs with just an U of Alabama pysch bachelors). At my firm, there has been an uptick in departures/people planning to depart due to poor decisions by HR around staffing, pay/promotions (merit seems to factor in less now).
Based on the most helpful WSO content, HR professionals rarely face direct consequences for poor decisions unless those decisions result in significant, undeniable issues like legal violations, PR disasters, or major operational disruptions. For example, HR mishandling diversity recruiting or mental wellness concerns, as highlighted in discussions about firms like PJT, often leads to frustration among employees but not necessarily accountability for HR.
HR's role is often seen as protecting the company rather than advocating for employees, which can lead to decisions that prioritize corporate interests over fairness or employee satisfaction. This dynamic, combined with a lack of checks and balances, means HR departments are not always held accountable for their mistakes. As noted in WSO threads, HR's power and lack of oversight can result in poor staffing, pay, and promotion decisions, which contribute to attrition and dissatisfaction but rarely lead to consequences for HR itself.
In short, while HR might not face the same market or product pressures as other roles, their decisions can have a significant impact on workplace morale and retention, yet they often operate without meaningful accountability.
Sources: PJT HR - Controversial Much?, Who gets to "HR" HR?, Why is HR not your friend?, HR, the Epitome of Incompetence, PJT HR - Controversial Much?
No, of course not. Especially nowadays where you can fill HR roles with DEI hires to inflate your numbers.
It’s a fake “email job” that exists solely for compliance reasons as a consequence of the western world’s increasing mess of bureaucracy. It only took a single year to build the Empire State Building back in 1930. That would be impossible nowadays with all the hoops you have to jump through, permits to acquire, palms to grease, environmental tests to pass, etc
Honestly seems like a great job (if your personality is suited to it). You aren't at that big of a risk of being automated by AI.
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