Veronique Palmer

We Are Not “Resources”

Human “Resources” …. when did that happen?!  It drives me insane. Why is it called the Human Resources Department?  To take the humanity out of it allowing some companies to perform some of the worst atrocities in history?  Why not the Human Beings Department?  Because then it will remind people that we are actually dealing with real, live people every day who hurt and bleed?  We’re calling it that in our company now, the Human Beings Department, and it’s filled with beautiful, amazing people.

Human BEINGS have feelings.  Human BEINGS have families.  Human BEINGS give up their family time to work in your company.  Human BEINGS have emotional and financial needs that need to be met.  Human BEINGS experience love, joy and pain. Human BEINGS are colourful, crazy, creative and diverse.

What is a “resource” for goodness sake?  I’m not a resource, I am a person.  Long live our new Human Beings Department!

Human Resources

Human Beings

7 comments

  2. Customers?! As nauseating as that is – that is exactly what we are to “the machine”. Customers and resources. Well we’ll just see about that, because we can revolt and do something much better.

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  3. Just browsing around here today and saw the header, “we are not resources.” Instantly interested and it turned out that, yes, Veronique was speaking of the hideous HR. I recall the first time I heard it back in the 90s, my immediate reaction was, “I’m not your damn resource!”

    You might be interested to know that around that same time (I work in health care) the other #@$% decision was to begin calling patients “customers.”

    “CUSTOMERS!” Can you believe that?!?

    I guess it’s so American though: resources, customers, and profits.

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  6. Thanks Veronique, this happened to me when I was designing buttons on a page. I created an “Add New Staff Member” button and after my manager saw it and he said to change it to “Add New Resource”. I didn’t question the change as it was one of many changes that were done.
    I would think from a UX perspective, a person using the page would think the “Add New Resource” button would be to add a Printer or Computer, not a person.

    Liked by 1 person

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