Why the world distrusts HR, and why that distrust is often misplaced
There’s a meme that reads: “Dear HR, I have COVID. If you don't approve my 30-day leave, I’ll come to the office.” HR replies, “Dear John, we’ve asked everyone to work from home. You're welcome to come in. Leave rejected.” It’s funny because it plays into a common narrative: HR is cold, bureaucratic, and ultimately not on your side.
But peel back the cynicism, and you’ll find a different story. HR, or People Operations, as it’s often rebranded is one of the most misunderstood functions in any organization. And while the skepticism isn’t baseless, it's often misdirected.
Why the Distrust?
Most employees encounter HR only at key junctions: onboarding, disciplinary meetings, performance reviews, or offboarding. Rarely in between. And because those moments are high-stakes and emotionally charged, they leave a strong impression—often negative.
Add to that a few well-publicized corporate scandals where HR departments protected toxic managers or failed to act on serious complaints, and you get a reputation crisis. According to a 2023 Forbes article, over 70% of tech workers don’t believe HR works in their best interest.
But here's the reality: HR sits in a deeply conflicted position. They must balance employee advocacy with business objectives. And sometimes, those collide.
What HR Really Does
Imagine HR as a conductor in a chaotic orchestra. They oversee hiring, onboarding, payroll, learning and development, internal mobility, compensation, employee engagement, compliance, and more. In large organizations, this breaks down into even more complex functions: talent acquisition, business partnership, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), legal compliance, organizational design, and workforce analytics.
Most of this happens behind the scenes. If you're not seeing HR, it's probably because they're making things work. From ensuring your paycheck is accurate to negotiating insurance benefits, to quietly managing the exit of a toxic executive without a lawsuit, HR is often doing the invisible labor of making your workplace stable.
The Therapist With an NDA
A good HR person wears many hats: part-therapist, part-lawyer, part-diplomat. They deal with emotionally draining work that rarely earns them points. They listen to personal breakdowns, manage interpersonal conflict, and often know the company’s dirtiest secrets. And yet, they can’t tell you what they know. Confidentiality is part of the job.
So yes, your HR rep might seem guarded. It’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they’re trained to be discreet—which often gets misread as being detached or corporate.
HR Done Right
Great HR departments are transparent, communicative, and aligned with the employee experience. They make it safe to give feedback. They follow through. They advocate for change. But they also communicate the business reality.
Real-life example: A mid-size fintech company struggling with attrition opened up salary band transparency after an internal employee pulse survey showed significant mistrust. The HR team led multiple town halls explaining how compensation worked, why some roles earned more, and what the path to promotion looked like. It was uncomfortable. But within two quarters, internal trust scores jumped by 40%.
Where HR Fails
HR fails when it acts like a gatekeeper instead of an enabler. When policies are enforced without empathy. When they lose touch with ground reality. Or when HR becomes too focused on protecting the company legally at the expense of doing what’s morally right.
If an employee raises a harassment complaint and you bury it because the accused is a rainmaker, HR loses legitimacy. Period. That’s not strategic alignment—that’s cowardice.
What You Can Do
As an employee, you can:
Understand what HR is responsible for.
Give them feedback (yes, they often survey you).
Use the systems in place—grievance procedures, escalation processes.
Build relationships with your People Partner. They're human too.
And if HR in your company sucks? Say it. Push for better. You deserve it.
But don’t blame the function for a bad execution. A world without HR is not more just. It’s more chaotic.