Being An HR “Cool Kid”

I’m not sure if you can be a “Cool Kid” if you work in HR. Certainly there are the fringe bloggers over at Fistful of Talent and a few writers on TLNT (yes I have even published there 5 or 6 times) who qualify.

But in general you are just not cool if you work in HR, at least to the outside world. I am not sure why having spent the first 12 yrs. of my career in operations, I find the HR team a whole lot cooler.

To start with their usually the extroverts in the organization. They see all and know all that is confidential. Some of them had to plan the parties early on in their careers…most of them “get it”…If you were at a networking event, who would you want to hang with? The accounting manager, the I.T. guy…or the HR folks…gee that ones a no brainer…

I think there is a misconception they are all goody two shoes….Spent one night out at the SHRM national conference and that rumour will be obliterated. Just ask Glass Door for the pictures at any of their past few events…maybe being unable to hold your liquor brings the wrath of uncool. Just watch those HR ladies from Iowa and Indiana chug a few libations and watch out!

Or maybe its they do the firing, so everyone is a little afraid of them. And they generally stay to themselves for business reasons…

It could be that I am just a different kind of HR exec having worked in the line early on, however plenty of my HR colleagues have not…and to be honest most of them are cooler than me…

Maybe they appear to drink the coolaid at work, but that is all perception, most HR folks don’t like the sugar high from the coolaid. they just appear to be drinking and enjoying it.

Perception is reality.

Anyway, HR folks can be COOL too. Trust me it takes one to know one!