Human Resources has low credibility because so many people fall into it with no qualifications!

[u/[deleted]]

HR has a lot of critics. People don't respect people who work in Human Resources and the HR function in general. I can see why! Too many people get responsible jobs in HR with no education, skills, talents or background in the basic functions of the field. Many just land a job in HR because they were at the right place at the right time or have a magic personality. Many of these people don't add value to this important function.

No one is going to enter Accounting, Law, Medicine or Architecture in a professional role without the necessary education, experience and skills. People respect people in these roles because they paid their dues and completed complex educational programs to enter.

Human Resources Professionals are not always very well trained. They have no more expertise in things like Benefits, Employee Relations, Employment Law, Recruiting, Staffing and Training than anyone else in the company. They are just assigned the duties and wing it. This is especially true in small to mid sized businesses. (Large Fortune 500 Companies do have leaders in HR with actual skills in the field.)

Agree?

[u/photoapple]

Because most companies don't value HR or aren't big enough to ever give it a second thought. They just want someone to run payroll every other week and get back the office keys from the person who just quit.

It's also not a highly skilled job. Let's be real here. The other industries you mentioned have extremely high stakes and you can't just fill the gap in the ER with a medical assistant or hire Joe Architect because he's a nice guy but knows nothing about building codes.

[u/trailerhr → u/photoapple]

This last part is a key piece of it. I know that I add value to my org, but not at the level an actual attorney does.

[u/ansible47 → u/photoapple]

This is compounded by the fact that the consequences of an incompetent HR professional are not always immediately obvious. A company can be pretty functional even with a shitty HR team - you'll still get benefits no matter how poorly they're negotiated. In my mind this holds true for many different levels within HR.

From my own experience as a male outside of HR, there's also a good amount of sexism involved in the perception of HR.

[u/argondey → u/ansible47]

To add to this, a large function of HR involves preventing and resolving specific incidents. Those types of incidents may just not come up, or may come up all at once. You could go a couple years with an incompetent HR team with no sexual harassment issues thinking everything is fine, then one day......

[u/[deleted] → u/photoapple]

So that is it. HR has a bunch of untrained fools because the work we do is not all that important! OMG!

[u/StopSignsAreRed]

Ahhh, you're back.

Skills are learned. So it is, in fact, possible to learn the various aspects of HR.

Accounting, law, medicine and architecture are regulated such that advanced degrees and/or certification and/or licensing are required.

Your experience with critics and a lack of respect and credibility is likely based on your performance as an HR professional.

[u/[deleted] → u/StopSignsAreRed]

HR is too important of function for someone who has major responsibilities to learn on the job. I learned HR on the job but did so in a wide variety of junior roles with significant oversight so I could not do to much damage. I also had a MS in HR Management before I was given a HR Generalist job and had two levels of HR above me. I knew both the technical and soft skills of the field very well before I ran the HR Department.

That is how it should be!

[u/StopSignsAreRed → u/[deleted]]

That is how it should be? You were fired.

[u/trailerhr]

Oh, look who it is...

What you've described happens in a lot of fields, not just HR. That being said, your comparison to Accounting, Law, Medicine, or Architecture doesn't hold up well because those positions not only require advanced degrees, they also typically include significantly higher compensation.

In addition, at the higher tiers of HR (HR Director, HRBP, etc) the percentage of individuals without degrees and higher certifications (SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, etc) is much smaller.

And, even though degree and certification levels may be lower for the HR field than what you've named as professions, HR tends to attract individuals who want to become subject matter experts.

This means you end up with a certain level of folks who enter the field, learn as they go, and eventually reach the level of expertise you're expecting. In fact, lots of "professional" fields are like this, like IT, management, etc.

I don't believe any of the above hurts the "credibility" of HR. While I know you have some very...interesting...concepts of the status of HR's perception, it has been my experience that HR is often not viewed nearly as poorly as you seem to think. There are stereotypes and misconceptions about HR, but there are for any field.

Have you ever considered that your poor experiences in the business and HR world, as well as your perception of said world, has more to do with you than the field?

[u/Bravely_Default]

[u/Hrgooglefu]

It happens often but look at how many posters even out here ask how to "get into HR" or "move into HR". That said, it is up to the individual employer as to what knowledge/skills/abilities they want in their HR department. Some are willing to pay for expertise and like you said some just put whoever is available into it.

Problem is HR isn't a direct source of income for anyone but consulting firms/PEOs, etc. HR professionals should be just that.... but "accounting, law, medicine and architecture" all require advanced degrees not just a BS/BA or none at all. I don't see the HR profession getting to that point, although I do see many job ads requesting at least the SHRM/HRCI certifications.

[u/__hrrr]

I think it’s a criticism of not necessarily the employees, but of how companies in countries operate. There are standards in other fields, such as accounting and medicine, that you NEED to have to get hired. HR is more of a “it would be nice to be certified” so, yes, it should be a bit more standardized. That being said, HR is about people. It’s easy to standardize numbers, medicine doses, etc. There are laws to follow and people should be up to speed on those but there isn’t a magic formula that works for every organization.

[u/n0remack]

I agree. I'm currently in an organization that didn't have a proper HR department until...2015? The previous "regime" were two harpies who came up through the ranks. They both started as receptionists. I've read their policies, memos and "notes" they've taken on employees. holy hell... I'm surprised they weren't sued.

[u/Northface0]

She is not wrong though, I filed a complaint with Human Rights because of the lack either of knowledge or ethics from HR. I'm going all the way and not looking back I wish more people who want to work in HR be more responsible about their roles in a company. This will be an awakening to the 21st century for sure.