What HR Wishes Everyone Knew

The Things We Think, But Don’t Always Say Out Loud

If you work in HR, you’ve probably had a moment (or ten) where you wished you could pause a conversation and say, “Okay, let me explain how this really works.”

You’re not alone.

HR professionals do some of the most complex, nuanced, emotionally demanding work in any organization—and we do it all while balancing people, policies, compliance, and culture. But the truth is, most people don’t fully understand what we really do—or how much we juggle on any given day.

So, in the spirit of honesty and maybe a little therapy-through-writing, here’s a lighthearted (but very real) list of things HR wishes everyone knew.

1. We Don’t Make the Rules. We Enforce Them (and Try to Make Them Make Sense).

No, we didn’t personally decide that PTO doesn’t roll over or that your position isn’t eligible for remote work. We’re interpreting policies created by leadership, legal, or compliance—and yes, we might also agree with you that some of them could be better.

That’s why we love when employees approach us with curiosity instead of blame. We want to advocate for better policies—but we also need the bandwidth and support to make that happen.

2. We’re Not the Morale Committee.

Sure, we plan the birthday bagels and the summer outing—but that doesn’t mean we’re responsible for fixing all culture problems. A healthy culture is built by everyone, especially leadership. We can influence and advise, but we can’t do it alone.

If something’s broken, we want to hear about it—and we want others to help repair it.

3. Yes, We’re Swamped. No, We’re Not Ignoring You.

We want to respond to your question about updating your address form. We really do. But when we’re deep in a medical leave issue, a termination, or an FLSA classification audit…well, it may take a minute.

Trust us—we’re thinking about your request. It’s on the list. We’re just managing a dozen high-priority tasks behind the scenes that you may never see.

4. We Have to Think About Everyone. Always.

You’re focused on your situation. We’re looking at the legal, cultural, and precedent-setting impact of every decision. What we allow for one person, we may need to allow for everyone—and sometimes that means the answer isn’t as easy as it seems.

We don’t want to feel like the bad guy. We just have to balance what’s fair, what’s legal, and what’s sustainable.

5. Confidential Doesn’t Mean Silent.

When you come to HR with a concern, we do our best to handle it discreetly. But that doesn’t always mean we can keep it entirely confidential.

Sometimes, taking action means sharing limited details with others—especially if there’s a legal or safety concern. Our goal is always to protect you while still doing what’s required.

6. We’re Not Therapists—But We Do Care Deeply.

We hear about everything—from workplace frustrations to family emergencies. And while we’re not licensed counselors, we care more than you know.

We often carry the emotional weight of the whole organization. So when we gently redirect you to EAP or offer a resource, it’s not brushing you off—it’s helping you get support that goes beyond our professional scope.

7. We Want to Help You Grow. Really.

Sometimes HR gets a reputation for being reactive or policy-focused. But many of us are in this field because we care about development and growth. We want to see employees thrive, leaders succeed, and teams build real momentum.

We love when employees come to us with ideas, ask how they can improve, or want to understand their career path better. That’s where we shine.

8. We’re Human Too.

We get nervous before difficult conversations. We get frustrated when people ignore deadlines. We laugh at memes, stress over decisions, and sometimes go home wondering if we handled something the right way.

HR isn’t a machine. It’s a group of people doing complex, high-stakes work in the background of your organization.

So if we seem tired… it’s because we probably are. But we’re also committed, passionate, and always trying to do the right thing.

Final Thought: We’re in This Together

HR is often behind the scenes—but we’re not against you. We’re here to help you succeed, stay compliant, and build workplaces that actually work. So next time you send us a quick email or stop by with a complaint, just know: we see more than you think. And we’re doing our very best. 

Thank you for understanding the important work we do every day!