HR … The Good, The Bad, and the The Ugly

Guest blog by our good friend Mark Coetzee.

Human Resources professionals are the gatekeepers of workplace civilisation. They recruit, onboard, mediate, investigate, advise, support and occasionally remind you that yes, you really do have to submit the leave form before you go to Cape Town. But, as in any profession, they come in a dazzling spectrum: the brilliant, the baffling, and the how are you still employed?

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside an exceptional range of HR professionals who brought genuine strategic value to every corner of the organisation. From leadership to the front line, they shaped not just processes, but culture—ensuring our people felt seen, heard, and supported. My trusted right-hand colleague, in particular, my go-to for understanding the true rhythm of our people—the heartbeat that keeps any business alive and thriving, and then I’ve had the misfortune of inheriting what can only be described as blunt instruments …

The Good: Workplace Superheroes in Business Casual

Great HR professionals are equal parts people whisperers, policy interpreters, and chaos wranglers. They:

• Know the rules without sounding like a rulebook. They can explain benefits or workplace laws in plain English without making you feel like you’re signing your life away.
• Balance empathy and compliance. They’ll listen to your workplace woes but also ensure the company doesn’t end up as the headline in an Employment Tribunal.
• See talent before the résumé does. They spot skills, match personalities to teams, and make recruitment seem effortless.
• Have memory like an elephant. They remember your kid’s name and the exact clause in the employee handbook that applies to your problem.

The Bad: Bureaucracy With a Pulse

Then there’s the HR that makes you wonder if “human” is part of their actual skill set:

• Over-process everything. Want to update your email signature? Fill out a 17-step approval form.
• Speak in policy riddles. “Per section 14(b) subclause ii… you might be allowed, but I’ll have to check with Legal.”
• Avoid conflict at all costs. Which is great… unless their job is to handle conflict.
• Agony Aunt: Willingly encourage people to engage and spends hours in meetings listening to people complain for the sake of complaining.

The Ugly: Career Villains in Cardigans

A tiny but spectacularly destructive minority:

• Play favourites like it’s a competitive sport.
• Bury complaints to protect “the higher-ups.”
• Use policy as a weapon rather than a guide.
  These HR professionals turn the role from “employee advocate” to “company shield” — and not in the good Captain America way.

The Fantastic Formula

The HR pros who truly shine tend to:

1. Have actual interpersonal skills (shocking, I know).
2. Keep confidentiality like its national security.
3. Adapt to situations instead of parroting “that’s just policy.”
4. Advocate for both employee and employer — the rarest, and most effective, balancing act.
5. Truly strategic and ‘feels’ the true rhythm of the business, like a ships engineer breathes every creak and sway of their ship.

The HR Hero–Villain Spectrum

Here’s where the profession truly splits into the good, the bad, and the coffee-machine gossip:

In short: Good HR makes companies better, employees happier, and workplaces safer. Bad HR makes you consider medieval justice systems. And ugly HR? They’re the reason “going to HR” makes some employees sweat.