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If You Don’t Value HR, Why the Hell Did You Hire Them?
- Szilvia Olah
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
HR doesn’t fail. People fail at using it right.
You brought in HR and now you surprised by their existence.
Here’s the thing, if you don’t see the value in HR and choose not to hire one, I actually respect that. I’ve written about it before, and honestly, I have no issue with it. In fact, I support that decision. (Read here how to run a company with no HR - it is easily my fav article I have ever written…)
What I really don’t get is when companies hire HR professionals — or any other role for that matter—and then start questioning what value they bring. It’s like getting married and only then asking, “So, what exactly do you bring to this?” Makes no sense and I have plenty to say about this.
First of all, asking HR to justify its existence is ridiculous for one simple reason: the value of anything is determined by the receiver, not the giver. In other words, the effectiveness of HR isn’t defined by HR itself, but by the people who experience and are impacted by its work. If they don’t value HR we must ask questions but in many cases the answer lies in my favourite quote - “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on him not understanding it” which is many cases, maybe not be the salary, but the profit or ego.
Secondly, facts like business metrics or other numbers HR professionals scramble to present to prove their worth - never change minds.
One key reason, facts often fail to change people’s minds is due to confirmation bias. This psychological tendency, explored in depth by Peter Wason in the 1960s, describes how we naturally favor information that supports what we already believe and overlook or dismiss anything that challenges those beliefs. Essentially, we’re wired to protect our existing views, even at the expense of truth or progress.
Research published in Political Psychology in 2016 showed that when individuals encounter facts that clash with their political views, they don’t necessarily reconsider. In fact, they may become even more convinced of their original stance—a reaction known as the “backfire effect,” where evidence intended to persuade ends up reinforcing existing beliefs instead.
Thirdly, shouldn’t this question be directed at the person who made the hiring decision? Something like, “Great, what was your intention when you opened this role? What were you hoping to achieve with it?” It makes a lot more sense to ask the hiring manager about the expected value upfront than to turn to the new hire afterward and say, “So, what do you bring to the table?” Nothing if the person who made the decision for the hiring doesn’t know, I can tell you that.
At the end of the day, conversations about value have to start with expectations because without clear expectations, there’s no way to deliver value. Everything else is just noise.
One more thing we don’t talk about enough:HR’s value doesn’t exist in a vacuum. No matter how skilled or strategic an HR team is, they can’t create impact without leadership buy-in. If leaders don’t engage with HR, align on goals, or use the tools and insights HR provides, then of course it will seem like HR isn’t adding value.
Think of HR like a tool. If you know how to use it properly - if you follow its processes, give it the right context, and actually use what it offers - it will have a massive positive impact. But if you ignore it, misuse it, or never bother to learn how it works, you’ll end up blaming the tool instead of the user.
Like any system, HR is only as effective as the people who use it — or as I like to put it, HR processes and their outcomes are only as smart as the people behind them. So before questioning HR’s value, leaders should ask themselves: Have I actually used the tool well enough to get the results I want? Most of the time the answer will be, NO.
You Hired the Tool—Now Learn to Use It!
Lastly, we've all heard about cognitive dissonance, right? It suggests that when we personally invest time or effort into something, we’re psychologically motivated to rationalize it—convincing ourselves that it must be valuable simply because it has been difficult to achieve. Maybe that's what's happening with HR: perhaps their investment leads them to believe their work is more valuable than others perceive. Who knows?
At the end of the day, companies need to make a choice, either value HR or stop hiring them altogether. Seriously, if you don’t see the point, stop wasting everyone’s time and money.
Employee Loyalty Hurts Employees and Companies
A book about HR, for HR, and against HR. Enjoy
