They are the ones that hire you, and they are the ones that fire you.
I’ve worked in a lot of companies (with H.R ) and now I have my own. My opinion is just my opinion but solidly funded in that H.R is cancer for any company.
I’ve seen talented engineers getting fired due to bad management, These engineers put their heart and vision in some ambitious contracts. I’ve seen line workers getting fired for taking a nap when there is nothing else to do but rest. These line workers always offered to cover extra hours and holidays (I was one of them). I’ve heard many people getting fired due to budget , but there is always budget for H.R.
H.R is always in the office interviewing people, and they hardly talk to other colleagues in the job and they hardly know the problems of co-workers. The reason being that co-workers always felt inferior to H.R. I have never seen anybody from H.R getting fired either for budget, bad management or taking a nap.
My company is not a small company, but business partners and investors want a human resources department. I have I always dealt with new applicants, from engineers to janitors, just by reviewing their resume and talking to them. I’m not a psychologist, nor have I studied that, but in the end I’ll never know if that person will steal from me, if that person is going to hate me or if that person will become a liability. What I know is that he is doing his job and not messing up anything related. After 3 months, I check up on them if they made any mistakes (which are reasonable) and I interview them once again. I also ask their superiors for feedback, and most of the time I approve the employee.
Am I the only company like that? What other options do I have instead of H.R so I can keep investors and business partners calmed? Why do so many people think H.R is necessary?