I am not sure how we managed to do it, but we have stamped the “human” right out of HR. And honestly, you don’t even want to get me started on the “resources” part. People are not resources. People are humans. That is, unless the “human” part was stamped out of them.
One thing for sure is that the humanity has been stamped out of HR. Companies (particularly large corporations with limited interaction with staff) have replaced the human function of HR with forms, compliance, and check boxes and seem dedicated to making sure that no one has an actual human moment.
Instead of being a place where employees can go for empathy or guidance, HR has become a feared entity that protects the company above all else and only interacts with the staff to tell them about insurance or what they are doing wrong. HR staff have morphed from the community experts in an organization to glorified compliance officers.
When you really have a need or are facing problems, HR is the last place you want to go. It inevitably feels like an exercise in box checking, and tends to involve a lot of forms.
You may be wondering what prompted me to come up with these hot takes on HR. I am an HR veteran of 20+ years, an organizational psychologist, and a co-founder of Talent Masters, one of the country’s top recruiting, executive search, and HR consulting firms. I am also a human who believes that the business world needs to return the focus to the community within their organizations (if they want to retain their employees).
In today’s corporate landscape, the traditional notion of HR feels outdated, if not entirely out of touch with the realities of modern workplaces. Take, for example, sexual harassment training — an essential component of any company’s compliance efforts. Too often, it’s reduced to a mere checkbox, a perfunctory online event devoid of meaningful engagement or impact.
At Talent Masters, we help our clients transform obligatory training from a bureaucratic box to check to an opportunity for deep conversation and cultural transformation. That is putting the “human” back in HR.
This element has been sorely overlooked as companies grow and technology changes. In a world characterized by globalization and remote work, the traditional boundaries between employer and employee have blurred.
So, I am introducing a new paradigm — the “human community department.” People are no longer mere cogs in a corporate machine but are now part of a dynamic community, each valued for their unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations.
The “human community department” replaces what HR departments have become synonymous with– company protection, bureaucracy, and compliance. Instead of shackling organizations with endless forms and meaningless training programs, the “human community department” nurtures human connections and fosters growth.
Instead of being enforcers of corporate mandates, they are the champions of the needs of the workforce.
I know this works because I have seen it in action myself. Companies can reclaim the humanity that lies at the heart of every organizational interaction.
At Talent Masters, we’re on a mission to teach companies how to be human again — to understand their people on a deeper level and make decisions that honor their humanity. We know that true success isn’t just about productivity and profit (though I will return to this in a moment); it’s about building thriving where individuals can flourish and grow.
As someone who has experienced the transformative power of change first-hand, I understand the importance of reframing outdated paradigms. Raised in a cult that preached hate and division, I’ve dedicated my life to challenging authority and embracing the things that make us uniquely human. I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact that a human-centered approach can have.
But what about profits and productivity? Simply put, both will increase. That’s right, my corporate friends, the “human community department” will actually SAVE you money and create a stronger, more motivated team. Employees that feel validated on a human level feel loyalty to their employers. Loyal employees are proven to work harder and stay longer. And, as anybody in recruitment knows, the longer you retain your employees, the lower your costs, the higher your productivity, and the more poised your company is for growth.
It really is that simple.
Our work at Talent Masters goes beyond recruitment — it’s about building a culture of leadership, training, and development that empowers individuals to reach their full potential. We believe that true success isn’t measured in profits or market share but in the strength of the communities we build and the lives we touch.
So let’s reimagine human resources not as a bureaucratic function, but as a catalyst for human connection and growth. Because when we put people first, everything else falls into place.
