Tough job! Tough girl?

An HR job is really not for everybody and I am starting to wonder if it's even for me.

Back in 2000 when I started as an HR Assistant I realized that this job makes enemies. No matter how nice you are, the better HR you become the more they hate you. A fresh grad like me was so shocked that I got confronted by a manager mediated by our Controller. Siding the management or the people is something we can't do. So it begins....

Five years passed and I'm still here despite my claims that I'd rather teach than work in an office. What I do love about the job is the chance to actually help people. Exactly why I took up Psychology. Here kasi you make enemies with some and you are the bestfriend of some. You get to be the enemy for not giving employees what they want. They complain about something, request for something or wants something in the system changed and if they don't get it you're the antagonist. Most of people forget that HR's do defend their position (if it's reasonable) to management but we can't bad mouth management to them or totally demotivate them by agreeing with them. Would you prefer that the person you consult always agree with what you say or promise to give you what you wanted but at the back of their mind really oppose you? The thing is I defend both sides to both sides. I make both sides see what they are not seeing.

The other day I had this very good conversation with my boss who is now my new idol. I was so moved by the things that she told me. I never did understand her at first, the same err most people commit towards HR people, but this talk changed everything. She made me see obvious things that we tend to miss out. Like, I could choose to be the most popular person in the crowd or I could choose to do the right thing even if it means contradicting what people are saying. She's the perfect example of the nicest person on earth yet so unpopular among the employees. She taught me how to make careful judgements about people and not assume anything unless it's based on facts. She taught me that our job requires us to take the fall if its' for the company's good. She taught me that if we can say bad things about another person then we are capable of saying bad things against anybody's back.

What breaks my heart though is in the past five years there are always people who doesn't look beyond what you do and see who you really are. Who judge you not for the choices you are compelled to make as a call of duty but for the friend that you can be.

Surprisingly though, for whatever "political?" reason I'm being outcasted lately, I'm not bothered and I'm not crying. (Being the cry baby that I am) I haven't even mentioned it to Ryan kasi I totally don't remember it when I go home. But if my theory is correct, which I really really hope it isn't, then I pity the people who cannot think for themselves and just goes with the flow.

Yes, I'll be sticking around. Another wise manager once told me that it could be worst out there than here. For as long as I have a good paying job and a very sensible boss I'll be here. Hoping that one day I can make a difference.