Posted 09.29.2009
Human resources: an exec’s worst enemy
Avoid these people like the plague -- they can only say "No"
By John Heckers
One important group to avoid when applying for a job at an executive level is the dreaded Human Resources. These folks are the worst enemy of the upper level corporate employee. Here is why, and some tricks for avoiding these people:
1). HR can only tell you “no.” HR exists to keep gates closed, not open doors. While a few HR departments exist to facilitate hiring of qualified people, most HR professionals are trained only to screen people out. This is fine for a fork-lift driver or mail room clerk.
But executives don’t operate on a list of credentials, which is all HR has the skill to look at. Executives operate on a wide range of skills, cultural fit, creativity, and so on. These things tend to make HR people nervous. Therefore, the best executives can get screened out.
2). HR loves to have power. The HR departments in most companies are trying hard to grab more and more power. In this they are often backed by corporate “legal.” These two departments, These departments are concerned with the safe, the tried and true, and the stodgy. These are, of course, the very things that keep a company from actually rising above the competition and getting noticed.
3). HR is not trained to evaluate executives. HR people are trained to read job descriptions, not people. Their track record for selecting the right people is not likely to be very stellar. They can choose people who, on paper, are qualified, but not necessarily the best person for the job. They also don’t understand the duties of executive level personnel, nor technical personnel..
4). HR likes to obstruct and take lots of time. Because HR likes power, they want to make executives jump through useless and senseless hoops to get employed. Those who are actual hiring authorities want executives to start work. Where do you think you’re going have a sooner start date?
5). HR has delusions of necessity. Many companies are eliminating HR departments. They are luxuries that just plain are not needed, other than a couple of benefits administration folks. All but the large corporations are finding that they make out fine without an in-house HR department as various “HR services” companies are rising who can do a better job for less money. Well trained managers and supervisors and a couple of benefits clerks are usually enough for all but the largest corporations.
Instead of going through HR, find the person who has the authority to actually hire – usually the person who would be your boss – and contact that person. Here’s how.
1). Ask everyone you know who they know at your target company. Then engineer introductions to the people your friends and family know. Most hires are made by someone who knows someone.
2). Search your LinkedIn connections, take a look at Facebook and Tweet. Sometimes your networking partners don’t know who they know. But if you tell them, “Hey, did you know John Smith was at ABC Company?” they’ll be surprised, but happy to introduce you. Keep in mind that all of us know lots of people in our town, but don’t necessarily know them in a business connection. I’ve had friends who were in very influential positions, but we were discussing sports, weight lifting, politics, spirituality or other issues, and even avoided business topics.
3). Ask people at your non-profit, religious and volunteer connections who they know. You’ll be surprised at the connections there, too. Again, if I don’t know someone through business, I don’t necessarily connect them with a certain business…and I’m a career professional!
Your job to get a job is to make connections, then use them to go around the gatekeepers to reach the person who can tell you “yes.” Avoid gatekeepers whenever you are able to.
There is one exception to this. Make friends with the executive admin of all of your targets. If they like you, they will move from “gatekeeper” to “the person who tracks down Barbara or whoever.” Don’t underestimate kind words and a plant or two, as well as finding out birthdays, anniversaries and so on. Executive admins, unlike most HR people, can become your best friends in the job search. But more on that in a future post.
For now, avoid HR like the plague. They are not your friends, and can be your worst enemy, and, most of the time, they are.
John Heckers, MA, CPC, BCPC, is a Transition Coach and Executive Coach in Cherry Creek, Colorado. He welcomes your emails at
. His CEO blog is at www.ceojobexpert.com. John's website is http://heckersdevcom, where there are many free employment resources listed. Follow him @heckersdev on Twitter.
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Readers Respond
good talk By rector on 2009 11 30
Most HR managers have no idea how to read a job spec for computing jobs, they are all about building power base generating paper work and time wasting. By John on 2009 11 04
Do you really want to work there long term? By Mary on 2009 10 20
I have had countless situations where a direct hiring manager has hired (and praised!) a candidate that the HR Manager turned down. I think that yes, generally, HR staff tend to look for 'why this person is wrong, or what they are lacking' rather than 'why is this person right'
I suggest rather than be on the defensive; perhaps the HR people who are commenting should ask themselves why an executive in the market feels this way. If you are not interested, and you feel that he (and all of the people who post agreements) are just wrong, then you fit right into the type of closed mindset that he is talking about.
For the most part, HR people come from HR, they do not come from an actual role of hiring managers. This makes them qualified for dishing out benefits etc., but makes them UN qualified for Hiring. Perhaps HR people should have work experience as an executive and as an executive hiring manager before they are suitable for a role that hires such people, but I can't think of the last time I ever met a Sales Director that made the career decision to move into HR.. By Jay on 2009 10 20
It was about freakin' time someone stood up and said the hard and cold truth about HR people and their practices.
I´ve seen complaints to them in just about every country I do business with, and amazingly, all those complaints are in the same line.
As a matter of fact, there seems to be an INTERNATIONAL drive to shut down the HR sectors as this article says.
It´s no wonder. Who would want a sector that is just a paper cruncher but insists in calling itself "HUMAN resources" By Lewis on 2009 10 19
There are many HR employees (at every level) who came into HR from other disciplines and have an understanding of the real world. At the same time, they have the difficult responsibility to protect the company (and sometimes stock holders) from monetary losses associated with bad hiring policies. It's not an easy balance...
One responsibility of every HR department is to support the company's executives as they hire and develop new employees. That means that HR should be opening doors for the right candidates at every level, not acting like a road block.
John - perhaps you could add another bullet to your networking advice. Have your candidates ask their contacts about the HR Department at their company. Employees usually have a pretty good 'read' of the HR perspective at their company. Candidates who truly have executive level skills will then be able to gauge whether they should include the HR Dept. in their company contact or 'avoid HR like the plague'.
Thanks, John, for giving me some insight into areas our HR department can improve. By Susie on 2009 10 01
I find you article very close to real world. The most important person in the process is the exec admin. Get on the good side there and you can navigate anywhere. I do find HR to be very useful and helpful to be a partner once you have been hired.. By Steven on 2009 09 30
I find it funny that all these HR folks are taking the time to post responses to this blog. Shouldn't they be hard at work screening resumes or something? Isn't it HR that escorts people out of the building for wasting company time on the Internet? The responses from these HR individuals only tells me that they have too much free time. To me, this is one more indication that they may not be bringing real value to their organizations. By Mike on 2009 09 30
This advice is meant for executives trying to get employed, not for HR professionals who need their egos massaged. Get over yourselves. By For the HR Whiners who posted comments on 2009 09 30
Maybe you're throwing stones at our profession to avoid all the criticism directed at the media these days, who seem to only want to tell the story from their own perspective and not all sides...hmmmmm. Shame on you for encouraging people to try to bypass the very system that might get them hired! By Char on 2009 09 30
Your gross generalization of human resources is offensive. It is HR’s objective to facilitate the process of managers engaging their staff, challenging them to reach the goals of the organization. In order to accomplish this, finding and hiring the most qualified people who fit into the culture is vital. It has to be a partnership between hiring managers and HR. You say that “HR loves to have power”. There are plenty of executives that don’t choose the top candidate because they feel threatened by someone with more ability. You say “HR is not trained to evaluate executives”. There are executives out there that are not trained/empowered to lead. This is why HR is a necessity; to prevent law suits.
You’re right on one point. The key to landing a fulfilling job is networking. Be it with a potential boss, their executive assistant or HR. By Owl on 2009 09 30
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