On a recent episode of the podcast, Skimm’d From the Couch, the hosts (Carly and Danielle) interviewed Gretchen Carlson. In the interview, Gretchen made the comment that if employees are harassed at work, they should NOT go to HR because HR is on the “side of the company.” This did grab our attention and it got us thinking…what is the role of HR in an organization? And as HR pros, how do we balance being there for the people AND repping the company? How do we shift this notion so that HR is not seen as a workplace jerk?

Key Takeaways:

The definition of the HR function really depends on what organization it's within, from policing liability and mitigating risk to creating and fostering a great place to work, and everything in between!
Often people associate negative interactions when they think of HR -- the classic pink slip, a performance issue, etc. The bad experiences are usually the stories people tell. Do what you can to NOT be seen as the complaints department!
Focus on integrity rather than likeability.