10 Awkward Truths I Learned From Working In HR

Having been in the human resources field for a while, I have observed a couple of things to be true, though never discussed at work.

Today, I will be sharing 10 truths I your HR representative has not told you.

1. You get hired for your aptitude; you get fired because of your attitude.

Most people get into a position because their employers believe they have what it takes to do the job. They look at your resume and know which skills will come in handy for the work that has to be done. If there are skills to be acquired, they plan training for it. You get hired for your aptitude. When an employer decides to terminate you, it is mostly because of your attitude. If we set aside budget cuts or reorganizations, how you behave at work plays greatly in whether or not you are kept in your position.

2. Most managers hire the people they like, not always the people they need.

When managers have a group of people to select from, they naturally gravitate towards hiring the people they like upfront, more than the person who would fit the job. Managers are also humans, and they tend to want to associate with people with whom they have affinities. That is why a panel of interviewers is always better than a single person, to minimize personal bias. That is also the reason why most HR representatives have standards and procedures to follow in order to be transparent and fair about their selections.

3. We have about 60 seconds to read your resume, make it count.

If you believe that recruiters and human resources managers spend minutes analyzing your resume, highlighting and taking notes, considering every word you wrote, think again.

We rarely spend more than 60 seconds on your resume when we first get it.

We look for general keywords regarding your timeline, the organizations you worked for, the job titles, and your education. A minute is all it takes us to either put your resume away or shortlist you for a call and interview. So, be original and make sure you stand out from your competition. More importantly, make sure the resume you send actually corresponds to the job that is at stake. If it takes us more than 60 seconds to figure out why you are the candidate for us, we might pass.

4. An interview is like a date, come correct and shower us with compliments.

When you are in an interview, you are trying to seduce the people in front of you, as much as they are seducing you. You have to come looking at the part and with a script. People will often say ‘just be yourself and it will work out’. Allow me to disagree. Send your representative first, learn about the company. Smile, be charming, be on your best behavior, shower us with compliments. In exchange, we will sell you the position. We then will go our separate ways and assess if we should see each other again. You probably will speak to other employers, we probably will speak to other candidates, but in the end, if we both agree, we’ll sign the papers.

5. You should not sleep with your coworkers, unless you marry them.

It is never, ever a good idea to start messing with your coworkers. Although it will seem adventurous and sexy, it will (almost) never end well. Not for you, not for them, not for the company you work for. Why? Because unless you marry them, you will break up with them at some point, and still have to work with them. Even If it is amicable, you will have to watch them be with other people or the other way around. I have seen enough of this to know it becomes very uncomfortable for everybody, and often enough, someone ends up having to leave. Don’t. Do. it.

6. Pretty privilege exists.

I hate to say it, but here is the ugly truth: attractive people generally get better treatment in society. Plenty of studies show this and this goes for both sexes. The work environment is no exception. Although no one consciously gives preferential treatment in a professional setting, we unconsciously are biased when we like what we see, or when we perceive the person as attractive to others. This isn’t specifically linked to sexual attraction, but a good general appearance and charming personality. I am not saying it is right or fair, but I am saying it is true.

7. Everyone has different motivations, and it shows

HR often can tell who is there for the money, who wants advancement and recognition, who genuinely cares, and even who is there to escape the headache that is their spouse or significant other. We know, we just know. And so, sometimes HR treats you accordingly. Meaning, when comes time to negotiate with you, we more than likely know which aspects to push, versus which to let go of in order to be in accord with you.

8. Men and women are different

It may come as a surprise in 2021, but yes men and women do not have the same career path. Most women’s careers look like a wave, whereas most men’s careers look like a diagonal arrow, studies like this one and this one have been clear about it. Women might have babies but men will not. Women still carry household work differently than men. Women and men are different in the workforce because of micro individual factors and meso organisational factors. We know this. Again, I am not saying it is right or fair, I am saying it is true, and HR knows this. That being said, yes there are exceptions and yes both sexes work equally hard.

9. Sometimes the appearance of work matters more than the actual work

No one will tell you this, but some bosses just want you to look busy, otherwise, they get anxious. And so, their employees always need to look like they are doing something in order to be considered a good worker. Although this is a pet peeve for anyone like me in HR, employees still need to decipher the company culture, as well as know their boss’s expectations. Some will not mind if you are by the coffee machine chatting for 20 minutes if all your deadlines are met, while others expect you to be looking at your computer your whole work shift.

10. The people you work with matter more than the organization you work for

You can work for the most wonderful organization on the planet, but if the people you collaborate with on a daily basis are a pain is the behind, you will not be happy. Like so, you can work for a company whose mission you do not care about, but if your team is likable, you will be motivated to show up every day. The people you work with really do matter more than where you work. That is why when considering joining a business, you should find out as much information as you can about who you will be working with.

So, there you have it. Now that you know these 10 truths, make this an advantage and move accordingly in the workforce.

Don’t forget to share this with someone who could use this information!