9 PROS & CONS of Working in Human Resources

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Human Resources

Like any other career, there are some pros and cons of working in Human Resources (HR).  When I ask folks why they want to work in HR, the number one reason is that they want to help others.  The craziest response was that they want to “know the tea”, aka the gossip and deep secrets. 

While knowing what it is that we want to do, we have to remember that there are going to be times that you may be a part of things that you don’t want to do, that you don’t agree with, or that you simply don’t like.  There are tons of pros and cons to working in Human Resources.

If you want to work in Human Resources for the tea, I promise you, this ain’t it!

The pros of working in Human Resources

After working in Human Resources for over 10 years, having a master’s degree in Human Resources, and having the highest level SHRM certification, SHRM-SCP, it’s obvious that I’ve found TONS of pros of working in Human Resources. 

Some of my TOP pros are:

  • Helping others
  • Long-term career growth 
  • Having profound impact
  • Being the middle person between the employEE & employER

Every time you’re an advocate for a candidate, current employee, past employee, or people manager, then you’ve helped others. Helping others truly becomes nearly an everyday part of your career as a Human Resources professional. The urge to help even more people motivated me to create my YouTube Channel, Heyyy HR. 

As time passes, especially since COVID-19, new and an increasing volume of Human Resources (HR) positions are emerging.  This opens a lot more career growth for Human Resources professionals than what existed prior to COVID-19. The range of Human Resources positions that are now available are discussed here in “Easiest Way to Start Your HR Career”. There are many ways to grow your Human Resources career and I discussed them in “Human Resources Career Ladder/Growing Your Career” on my YouTube Channel, Heyyy HR. 

As more companies realize Human Resources is a strategic partner in the business, HR is open to being more creative and proactive using various Human Resource tactics.  As a result, Human Resources now has a great impact on the organization that seems to grow more and more. 

Sometimes, you can hardly get the employEE and the employER to agree.  Naturally, there will be times when an employee simply doesn’t agree with the company’s policies or their manager’s management style.  In those instances, it seems that a tyird-party or neutral person can come in handy. Human Resources professionals are just that.  Being the middle person between the employEE and the employER can be very rewarding, particularly when you’re able to create a resolution that both parties are happy with. 

The CONS of working in Human Resources

Regardless of how excited we get about starting our Human Resources career, and getting that burst of energy when we get the job offer, we must remember that there simply will be times when we just don’t like our jobs.  There may be parts of our job as HR professionals that annoy us. 

Below are some CONS of the Human Resources career: 

  • Sometimes it’s difficult helping others
  • Business strategies that include terminations & reduction in force (RIFs)
  • Companies that don’t think of Human Resources as a strategic partner for the business
  • Unpredictable workloads/Difficulty in sticking to your plan of action
  • People not understanding that Human Resources (HR) is a neutral party in the organization

Many times you want to help an employee, but they may have a difficult time understanding the business justification for not granting their wishes or an alternative plan to get to their resolution.  On the other side, you may have a new manager that is completely excited to jump into their management plan but does not realize how this may negatively impact the business or employees.  Those are the most common instances where it becomes difficult to help others. 

For nearly 10 years I’ve either been a part of or led in terminations.  In most instances, employees should be made aware of their actions that may result in termination.  In those instances, I don’t find it as hard to process terminations.  In instances where the company needs an immediate reduction in force (aka layoff), then it becomes very difficult.  In those instances, employees are not expecting the termination.  In other instances, employers are not generous in their separation agreements which can present a huge hurdle for employees.  That makes it difficult to continue in your career as a Human Resources professional.

Typically, smaller companies operate for many years without a dedicated HR professional or HR department.  Over time, small things like recruiting or unemployment claims become the issues that make them incorporate HR.  As a result, they do not understand the value of HR and that can be draining to seasoned HR professionals. 

Many days you may create a plan, but other emergencies are presented during the launch of your plan that need immediate attention.  As a result, you are forced to de-prioritize your plan.  If you prefer sticking to a plan or prefer to be organized and proactive, then this can be a heavy load for an HR professional.

Many times people think that Human Resources’ entire job is to “hire and fire” employees.  It is not until they are an employee or people manager who needs Human Resource’s guidance to complete their goal, that they realize that HR is a neutral party in the organization.  

These are very small parts that impact the PROS and CONS of being a Human Resources professional or working in HR.  Please tell me some things that you realize you LOVE (PROS) or HATE (CONS) about being an HR professional or from working with HR. 

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