Who is HR?

There appears to be a clear misunderstanding about who HR is and what their roles and responsibilities are. The stereotype of Human Resources being the disciplinarians, the “bad guy”, or the “fun police” are aspects that I found to be very frustrating throughout my coop experience. Human Resources is a strategic business partner, who is responsible for facilitating the strategic objectives of the organization. It is the role of the Manager to be responsible for the performance management of their teams, and ultimately the engagement and morale of that team. The misconception that HR is solely responsible for increasing morale, through activities like party planning or other feel good events is frankly an inefficient allocation of the Human Resources role and capabilities. By creating social committees, you are including various members of the organization who are intrinsically motivated to contribute and increase morale.