As recruitment professionals, we hear all sorts of confessions from professionals working within companies. And without wanting to break the seal of secrecy, when it is to do with HR, I would love to be able to tell you that these confessions are particularly juicy! ...but actually they aren't. So I call on you, Ladies and Gentleman of Human Resources: come and liven up our interviews, remove that constraint that you impose on yourself, in short, free yourself!

Joking aside, it is time to take a fresh look at HR roles; or should I say, at HR departments. So yes, it’s true, it is clear that people are wary of them within companies. On the Management side, they are the ones that often create a large expense in the company budget. And on the employee side, they are the ones that represent the employer, and who could remove you from your post at the drop of a hat.

 

But, you might say, in order to tempt some to their cause, they have to make a special effort to be funny, friendly and full of enthusiasm, don’t they? Well, yes, we do know of certain ones where that is indeed the case (but we are not mentioning them here, they would be bombarded with just as many CVs as job offers). But on the whole, it is often said that this is not the main selection criteria used by HR when recruiting. No, they have to be rigorous, organized, reserved, discreet, analytical, succinct. In other words, many qualifying adjectives that do not necessarily means ones should be austere when working in such fascinating functions.

 

We can affirm that these posts are indeed fascinating. Or at least they can be. We are talking about humans, skills, even about potential. It is not only about managing figures, expenses and annual accounts, but about finding the best professionals in their field, training them, understanding their motivations in order to know how to capture their interest and to compensate them for their work, all whilst making sure that it fits in with the company strategy and is in accordance with its values. In short: what is there not to like?

 

It is therefore time that we reassess the image we have of those in HR, and make it more empathetic. This is because under that armor of being serious people, forbidding sometimes actually, there are often, in fact, really passionate people lurking underneath, who are full of empathy and humor. So when will the modern HR employees appear? Those who are capable of being serious when necessary, whilst also sometimes maintaining a detached attitude, or could I even dare to suggest an attitude of mischief? Dear HR friends, you don’t need to put on that heavy costume of austerity so that we respect you. We like you just the way you are, but the day when you dare to reveal your true nature, everyone will adore you; and being the excellent professionals recognized for their expertise that you are today, you would become more human…and, at last, I would have some great anecdotes to tell about your interviews.

And you, which HR employee will you be tomorrow?