Since my first tweet, I have been intrigued by what others say about HR. It’s not often we take a hard look at what our clients think about us and Twitter gives us an abridged peek into the minds of others. And it’s more raw than what we could get from any customer satisfaction survey…it’s like being a fly on the wall. So I still comb the twitterverse from time to time to see what non-HR people are saying about HR. It so happens Employees are much more critical of and vocal on HR than they are other departments. After all, we impact their lives daily….and as a result we are a Fishbowl. At first, I thought it might be cool to share some of those Fishbowl tweets. After I reflected on the first list, though, I failed to find the value in sharing a bunch of whiney crap from people I don’t even know…what the hell do they know, after all, about my dear profession. Sure, perception is reality and PR and Brand Image matter to HR. But when @sfleatherbear tweets, “his company’s HR dept. could not possibly be more inept!” why should I f’ing care? This is one man’s opinion and even if it’s true there is very little I can contribute to that department’s defense (or development). But maybe I care a little bit when @adam_frisby tweets, “Wisdom Rule 1. Never walk into a HR department smiling, it’s a waste of muscle.” That hits a little closer to the core – that’s an image issue…one that more of us in the trenches may in fact be dealing with. And from time to time I might even renew my faith when people like @kasinator tweet “My HR manager told me id be better off quitting & applying as an external candidate than trying to figure out the internal transfer system.” Now that’s just funny and it’s evidence that HR departments can add levity to otherwise frustrating situations.
So is this a “sticks and stones” thing? Should I listen to my Mom and not pay attention to what these bullies are saying about us on the playground? Or should I consider it another way to get perspective, albeit a tainted one? One thing is for sure, I wish our employees could be as candid with our HR department as some of these tweeps are with theirs. But until we create an environment in which they are comfortable doing so, I’ll keep looking for ways to be that fly on the wall.