Often, there’s no love lost between management teams and Human Resources (HR) departments, and recruiting firms and HR. In fact, HR gets a lot of slack, from a lot of people. That’s a huge mistake. Here’s my take on why you should love HR:

1. HR is the Guardian of your company’s culture

The culture, values, and overall vibe of your company comes down to your people. Sure, it starts with leadership and like most things begins at the top and filters down, but your HR team are the gatekeepers. If your company has a great culture (and let’s hope it does), then it’s because they’re hiring the right people and creating a working environment that supports your company culture.

2. HR has your back

Human Resources departments gets a bad rap. They’re looked at as the road block to getting shit done. They say phrases like can’t, don’t, shouldn’t. Things like:

• You need proper documentation;
• You must follow the proper steps;
• Follow the guidelines…

Blah, blah, blah.

Yes, these rules are annoying as hell. And they slow things down. But the rules exist to protect your company, and a good HR department will make sure all your t’s are crossed and your I’s are dotted so you don’t find yourself in the middle of a future shit storm.

3. Recruiting firms and HR departments are poised to help each other

Human Resource departments need trusted vendors —My goal as an owner of a recruitment firm is to provide a trusted source of talented individuals. That’s why we foster respect, trust, and build relationships with HR departments across some of the top industries in Canada and beyond.

Not all recruiting firms love HR. Over the past few years, I have often heard from people that are so called experts in recruitment that you need to “BACK DOOR” deals and “don’t let HR get involved”. What a crock of shit that is, most of our best clients are ones where we have the best relationships with the Managers, Directors and VP’s of Talent Acquisition and HR.

I totally understand that they literally have their email and voice mail consistently filled with messages from Recruitment firms, Training and Development firms, Outplacement companies, and everyone else who is trying to sell something to them.

Look, HR departments take care of more than recruiting. So, if a recruiting firm can come in and lend a hand by sharing top candidates, then that’s a win-win. But, for god’s sake use your common sense and do so in a loving way. After all, HR are the gatekeepers (Guardians). And you need to show the Guardian of their company’s culture some love and respect.