36 Years in HR: I've Seen Some 💩

I started my career in HR in 1990 as a fresh-faced, big-haired, recent graduate. As of now, I have officially been in HR for 36 years.

I’m not sure if it’s grit or insanity that has gotten me through. 😂

When I started in 1990, fresh out of grad school, cell phones were new (mostly in bags with no texting), email was barely a thing, there was no internet, and presentations involved overhead projectors and transparencies.

A lot has changed. And a lot hasn’t.

Here are five things I’ve learned:

1. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Technology has changed. Expectations around flexibility have changed. The speed of work has changed dramatically.

But many of the same workplace problems I saw 36 years ago are still around today: poor communication, bad managers, unclear expectations, lack of accountability, difficult employees, and organizations avoiding problems until they become crises.

Social media and AI have added new wrinkles, but many of the underlying issues are surprisingly familiar.

And somehow, after all these years, we’re still doing traditional annual performance reviews and wondering why they don’t work. 🤷‍♀️

2. People are crazy. At least some of them.

As the country song says, “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.”

After 36 years in HR, I have stories I will never be able to tell. And some that no one would believe anyway. 😂

I’ve also learned that workplace issues are rarely as simple as they first appear. There are usually personalities, histories, relationships, perceptions, and a few surprises beneath the surface.

3. Life comes at you fast.

How did I go from being the youngest person in the room to one of the oldest so quickly?

Now I’m seeing people enter the workforce who are younger than my kids. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are.

Respect and value your elders. If you are lucky, you'll be one someday (and it goes fast).

4. Experience is valuable.

AI can give you information. Google can give you answers. A book can give you a framework.

But experience gives you pattern recognition.

After navigating thousands of employee situations, leadership challenges, organizational changes, and workplace messes, I can often spot what’s really going on much faster than I could 20 years ago.

I’ve also accumulated a ridiculous number of tools, frameworks, templates, stories, and lessons along the way.

There is real value in having seen some things.

5. People still don’t know what HR is.

Many people still think HR is policies and payroll. Hiring and firing. Benefits. Compliance. The fun police.

And yes, HR may touch all of those things.

But good, strategic HR does much more. It helps organizations attract and keep good people, build stronger leaders, improve performance and accountability, navigate change, strengthen culture, and move the business forward.

After 36 years, I still believe the people side of business can make or break an organization.

P.S. AI kept my 90s hair!