Human Resources. Human Capital. Talent Management. Union busters. The enforcement wing of executive intent.

Resources for humans, or humans as resources? Could go either way.

HR, as a concept, are barely more than a century old. They exist, because employers had a problem.

Unions. They were something of a nuisance. Talking about employee rights and all that hogwash. The impertinence.

A sclerotic management system, aghast at the possibility of having to treat underprivileged, scrofulous guttersnipes as though they were worthy of human consideration, needed a way to deal with this horrifying prospect.

Thus, was HR born.

A sub-function of management scythed off from the main managerial body for the sole purpose of making sure employees don’t get any funny ideas like, equal pay or humane treatment.

You know, silly stuff.

Over the subsequent years, HR made a grab for power and succeeded.

They are, by their own design, responsible for employee wellbeing; learning and development; the safe processing and storing of employee personal information; project strategies; recruitment; policy and procedure implementation and review; employee engagement; performance monitoring, appraisal and reward.

Most of which they will farm out to local management as much as they possibly can. That way, it’s somebody else’s fault.

They will consider themselves the ethical centre of the business whilst having the same urgent grasp of morality as an unneutered tom-cat.

Outside of initial employment processes, you might go your whole working life without encountering them. Unless you’ve done something bad. Or they have.

They may, periodically, pop up to talk to you about the various, ancillary, processes associated with the world of employment. Usually when they are seeking an award or certification renewal but, ultimately, they are not there for you.

Unlike unions, where representatives are chosen democratically, your HR representative or business partner is chosen for you.

You might even know their name. If you don’t, it’s because the only person they represent is themselves.

The “Union Busters”, are now fast becoming the reason unions need to exist.

The last element to be added to a growing company, and the ones who will turn out the lights on a dead one.

In the ocean of working life, HR are the great white shark that wants to eat you.

You’re gonna need a bigger boat.