HR pros and Goldilocks: Just right - SmartBrief

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HR pros and Goldilocks: Just right

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Leadership

SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Workforce — tracks feedback from leading managers and human resources practitioners. We run the poll question each Thursday in our e-newsletter.

Last week, we asked: Do you believe HR people at your organization are too nice?

  • No — HR is about the right level of nice for the job: 57%
  • No — HR is too mean, and it causes issues: 26%
  • Yes — HR is too nice, and it causes issues: 17%

I don’t really like doing hugs, but I’ve received quite a few from colleagues in HR. I’ve also been raked over the coals by some HR pros. Generally speaking though, I think there is a Goldilocks line that those in HR have figured out. You try not to be too mean, but you also try not to be too nice. Rather than think of it as mean or nice, we should just think of it as professional.

Lance Haun is community director for ERE.net, the main guy over at Rehaul.com and a member of the SmartBrief on Workforce Advisory Board.