Defending the HR Profession

Great questions Paul.

Q) Are you aware of the prolonged criticism of CIPD and the HR profession?

Yes, LinkedIn is a hot bed of these kinds of posts and I wonder if I see them because I've engaged with them so the algorithm is showing them to me. I find it curious that any reply I give which is more balanced or nuanced is often ignored by the posters or in some cases the engagement I've had is more aggressive - I ccan think of one poster in particular who was like that.

Q) Have you responded to the criticism? Is it a worthwhile discussion to have?

I do, I'm not sure if it's a worthwhile discussion as often the viewpoints are fixed and quite black and white. I don't think the CIPD is perfect but I am happy to share why I am a member and what value I get from it. That is not very exciting content for people who seem to look for clicks, likes and others to agree with them.

Q) Is it easy to criticise the HR profession because it has an image problem?

I always say I didnt join HR/ the people profession to be popular. I did because I believe in what I do. Who's creating the image problem here? I find that an interesting question.

Q) Does it make you worry about your jobs?

No. Jobs will evolve and change, my job is to move with that and make myself employable to clients. That's not changed really as a bottom line, the context and the challenges and context might have.

Q) Anything else you would like to say?

I've a lot to say on this. I do think the CIPD could be more proactive in some ways in this space as brand criticism is faciltated by social media and spreads rapidaly so there feels like a need to be more overt or have an overt strategy for it. I've not seen it but that might also be because I am not seeing it.

Hi Sharon, thank you for your very thoughtful responses which makes my job of writing a blog and producing a podcast so much easier. I would be grateful if you could DM me the LinkedIn post you refer to, if you still have it saved?

Hi Sharon, thank you for your very thoughtful responses which makes my job of writing a blog and producing a podcast so much easier. I would be grateful if you could DM me the LinkedIn post you refer to, if you still have it saved?

My pleasure Paul Carter. Happy to add some insights.

There are too many examples of where I have added comments on LinkedIn posts giving alternative views and received no reply. I think I got a reply recently, interestingly from another commenter that I knew, rather than the original poster.

Yeah and I do find the anti HR podcasts quite hard to listen to as they are an hour-long rant. I prefer subtle, three dimensional woke discussions, rather than in your face woke discussions which never feel realistic. I want to give everyone a voice but I need diverse voices to do that.

I can't listen to a lot of ranting. If I want to hear rants there are lots of places to see and hear them, Twitter is full of them and so is LinkedIn. I bristle at the use of the word woke...especially when you look at the origins of it and see the way it's been appropriated in a perjorative way to put down people, minimise and exclude people with reasonable, alternative and supportive views. It feels like the new version of p.c. politically correct, I prefer clean and neutral language if at all possible, that's had and requires intent but at the same time we need to break through the rants and the angry nature and get back to hard debates, listening to debates and differences to create a better future, whether that's in the CIPD context or more wider.

I hope for a movement past and through this current phase we seem to be experiencing of polarising, click bait, diversive conversations.

Hi Sharon, I like clean and neutral language and not making assumptions about people and communities as well. I will be starting my blog and podcast this month so this is people's chance to get involved. You don't have to be a household name to produce good content. "Only HR in the Building" but we'll open the door to let the truth in!

Here is one of my articles on defending the HR profession apolitical.co/.../why-is-hr-under-scrutiny-550 and here is another www.watchingworkingliving.co.uk/hr-shield-wall-setting-the-scene

Thanks for sharing. I am going to take a look.

Thank you, more articles and the amazing podcast will follow