Is HR really on the employee’s side, or the company’s?

Welcome to the very first installment of #AskNevadaHR!

We’re so excited to launch this new series where we answer real-world HR questions with honest, practical advice — no corporate jargon, no sugar-coating. Just real talk from your friendly HR heroes at NevadaHR.

For our first question as part of our new #AskNevadaHR, we wanted to tackle a very popular — and often misunderstood — topic:

“Is HR really on the employee’s side, or the company’s?”

It’s a great question — and one that deserves a real answer. Let’s dive in.

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Ah, the classic question — and honestly, one of the biggest misconceptions about Human Resources out there.

Let’s start with this: I actually disagree with the way the question itself is framed — as if there are “sides.” The truth is, 90% of the time, the company and the employee are on the same side. It’s only in about 10% of situations — usually the really messy ones — where interests might diverge. But unfortunately, that 10% tends to get all the attention, and it overshadows the everyday reality of what HR is actually here to do.

HR employees are just that — employees. Just like you. At the end of the day, our role is to protect the company from risk — and guess what? Protecting the company usually means taking care of employees:

• Making sure policies are followed (or updated if they’re outdated)
• Training managers so they don’t accidentally create risk (or hostile environments)
• Coaching and supporting teams before problems become terminations
• Ensuring fair, consistent treatment so no one is treated unfairly

On that note, and contrary to popular belief, we don’t want to fire anyone. Firing someone — even when justified — is a major risk for a company. It opens the door to legal exposure, turnover costs, loss of institutional knowledge, and a whole lot of disruption. Why would we create more work for ourselves if we didn’t have to?

If you really take a look at what HR does day-to-day, the idea that we’re some kind of “corporate enforcers” fades away pretty fast. Most of the time, we’re the ones pushing for better things for employees:

• Advocating for salary increases to stay competitive
• Setting up training budgets and sending people to conferences
• Implementing harassment prevention and DEI programs so everyone feels respected
• Running engagement surveys to find simple ways to improve your day-to-day work life
• Gathering evidence to convince leadership that real change is needed to retain and empower teams

So, to answer your question: Yes — HR is here for the company. Guess what? You are, too. You’re hired to contribute to the company’s success — and so are we. You are paid to do a certain job – just like we are. The real question is: Are we building a better company together? That’s what good HR is really about.

Fighting for You, Even When You Don’t See It

Many HR professionals are quietly championing employees behind the scenes — even if employees never see it.
And if we’re being honest? Sometimes we’re getting yelled at by employees for decisions we didn’t even make — ones leadership pushed through without listening to our recommendations. HR doesn’t always get the final say, but we do try.

Are there bad HR professionals out there? Absolutely. Just like there are bad managers, bad leaders, and bad employees. But in my experience, most HR people really are trying to make your life better — even if you don’t always see it in the moment.

We’re people, too.

So the next time you see your HR Manager or HR personnel, be nice, be respectful, and don’t automatically go on the defensive. When we’re conducting investigations and asking the tough questions, it’s because we’re protecting the company — and you — from risk, whether it’s a lawsuit or a toxic, hostile environment that hurts everyone.

Sure, we maintain a certain level of professional separation from team members, and yes, we build strong relationships with leadership — but usually for two important reasons:

• To stay neutral when conflict arises, so we can fairly mediate and investigate
• And to have the influence we need to champion for better policies, resources, and opportunities for team members

At the end of the day, we’re all working toward the same thing: A workplace where people feel respected, valued, and empowered to do their best work. Now, if you’re wondering if you might be the team member HR is trying to protect everyone else from? Well…

That’s a question for another day. 😉