Happy Thanksgiving Eve, friends! Today is the day that’s basically a Friday, wearing a Wednesday wig…or something like that.
I’m personally thankful for the short week, the collective energy of everyone emotionally out-of-office, and you, opening this newsletter to enjoy(?) my ramblings. ❤️
Today’s tea is extra hot, extra messy, and honestly, the perfect chaotic appetizer before tomorrow’s carbs.
So settle in, refill your mug, and let’s talk about the organization that swears it sets the standard while absolutely refusing to meet it.
But first, if you haven’t filled out this industry events survey yet, would you do me a huuuge favor and complete it real quick?
It’ll help me figure out where to do meetups next year!
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✨ Don't forget: You can always vent, celebrate a win, or find support in Safe Space
🤯 'Entitled,' 'complacent,' and 'sloppy': Inside the workplace tension at the world's largest HR organization
The TL;DR: SHRM, the organization that claims to teach everyone else how to run a healthy workplace, is being accused of doing the exact opposite. Former employees describe fear, retaliation, dress-code policing, public shaming, and constant reorganizations under CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. Add in lawsuits, DEI backtracking, and controversial speaker choices, and people are asking: how can an organization setting “best practices” not follow them itself?!
My POV: If SHRM has no haters, I’m dead. I have not, and will not, ever believe that SHRM national should set the tone for our entire profession. I know a lot of HR professionals who have personally distanced themselves from the organization because of its many questionable choices.
When I started I Hate it Here I put SHRM on a list of orgs I would not work with because I felt that they did not represent HR of the future. Their stances on how work should be done felt very outdated and leaned more toward policies than actual empathy. And that to me was in deep conflict with the values of I Hate it Here.
Where does that leave things?
Some companies still require SHRM certifications. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s become such an industry staple that it will take time to change that. I have seen many HR folks speak out about removing this requirement!
I’ve heard rumblings of local chapters of SHRM wanting to split or distance themselves from national. I do think this a common occurrence where local chapters are VERY different than what’s happening at the national level. It still begs the question of association.
➡️ For better resources out there, check out HRCI and Safe Space (yes, I’m bias).
🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:
“I am really interested in how humanity updates its systems to match the moments in time.”
On the mic this week: Breene Murphy is the president of Carbon Collective Investing, a financial advisory firm focused on climate-smart investing and sustainable 401(k)s for businesses and nonprofits. His path into sustainability was inspired by his grandmother’s environmental leadership and reinforced by his advocacy work with Citizens’ Climate Lobby and USC’s Wrigley Institute. He now blends storytelling, climate passion, and deep investing expertise to help employers design retirement plans that actually serve their people.
Pin this:
If you want to be seen as a strategic HR leader, you can’t ignore markets and interest rates, because they’re the prequel to your next reorg, hiring freeze, or layoff.
Many HR leaders are fiduciaries on the 401(k) (hello, Form 5500) and are personally liable without fully understanding what they’ve signed.
The biggest mistake isn’t picking the “wrong” provider. It’s treating the plan like a set-and-forget admin task instead of a core part of your people strategy.
Financial stress is deeply tied to mental health, performance, and retention, so better pay and better retirement design are basically culture levers.
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: The moment Breene casually dropped that HR leaders are often personally on the hook as 401(k) fiduciaries, and many don’t even realize they’ve signed that responsibility. I felt every listener’s soul briefly leave their body. 😅
Stat: 74% of workers say being interviewed by an AI agent would change their perception of the company, with 37% saying it’s “impersonal” and 23% saying it’s “innovative.”
My spiral: I feel like thiscaptures the exact tension we’re all living in: the same AI interview that makes you look innovative to some candidates makes you feel cold and transactional to everyone else.
As HR, that’s your brand on the line!
If 74% of people say AI changes how they see you, then every tool you roll out is also a signal about how much you actually value humans.
In a world where trust in leadership is shaky and empathy is the real competitive edge, outsourcing first impressions to a bot can either amplify your credibility or quietly erode it.
The question isn’t “Should we use AI?” It’s “How do we use it without sacrificing connection?”
🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF
It’s holiday season. You’re probably tired, probably juggling too much, and sometimes the things that get normalized…shouldn’t be normal. So with that being said, my question for you is:
“What’s one thing you’re doing right now that’s more for survival than growth?”
🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Before you dive into another day of fire drills and quick syncs, I want you to try something that feels tiny but hits like a deep exhale.
Not a mindset shift or anything major, but a small act of rebellion against the chaos.
Cancel one recurring meeting that no one’s emotionally attached to.
YOU CAN DO IT, I PROMISE.
This is especially impactful if you’re used to jumping from meeting to meeting all day!
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👂 OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
Honestly, the only unprofessional thing here is a grown adult pretending a toddler’s laugh is more disruptive than her own lack of empathy. 🙃
