Human Resources. A real department of mysteries. Are they your advocate? How do they really decide if you’re right for the job? And why can’t you ever get a straight answer out of them?
A lot goes on behind the closed cubicles of HR. Curious? Take a peek at a few insider secrets about how HR really functions to better understand what you’re dealing with.
Why You Aren’t Getting the Job
What do you do with too many job seekers and too few jobs? Hiring managers have a wide variety of applicants to choose from, but more often than not, they find themselves reading resumes from candidates who don’t even meet the job requirements. Read the job description! If you aren’t hitting everything, you’re wasting your time and the interviewer’s. With a wealth of applicants to choose from, hiring managers are only going to select the best of the best. Meeting the requirements is just the bare minimum. Trust us.
I Spy…
Forget your Facebook profile, that’s so 2009. These days, identity theft is so common that heightened security measures and meticulous processes are a basic standard. There’s a reason why HR runs a background check, asks (and follows up on) multiple references, does drug tests, credit reports, and (of course) Googles you. They really do want to know as much about you as they can. It’s their job!
Watch Your Back
Because HR won’t, even if they want to. HR has the company’s back first, yours second. They’ll be your advocate as far as they can be, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to tough it out on your own. Thinking about reporting your boss or complaining to HR? Make sure it’s worth it. Despite policies and company jargon, tattle tales always look weak and the employer will probably get the benefit from the doubt. Plus, you’re inevitably burning a bridge as far as corporate culture goes. (Sexual harassment is a different story.)
HR Doesn’t Know it All…
They used to. Human Resource departments used to be the backbone of the company, handling everything from firing, hiring, training, and everything in between. And then came the Great Recession. Company downsizing equals outsourcing HR. That means all those HR functions are now the responsibility of third parties, reducing many HR departments to a handful of staff pushing papers and other administrative duties. You think HR has all the power? Think again.
…Because We’re Human After All
Not aliens from Mars, or creatures from another universe. The HR department is made up of plain ol’ humans just like you. Prick them, and they bleed; abuse us, and they’ll go cry in the corporate bathroom – or make your life miserable because they can. Contrary to popular belief, HR isn’t made up of evil masterminds plotting your demise. Like any other department, they’re just doing what they’re being paid to do, and sometimes that might mean making your job harder. Respect the limits of HR and acknowledge that they do what they can. Honey trumps vinegar at the workplace, every time.
