I have spent over two decades working for investment banks and hedge funds and if there is one thing I have learned, it is this: never, ever, trust human resources (HR).
I don’t know how things work in other industries, but if you work for a bank or hedge fund and you have a problem, do not go to HR.
In this industry, HR is not your friend. HR is a proxy for senior management. They will not act in your interest but in the interest of the firm.
Many of the most heinous things I’ve heard about during my career have involved HR. They can be absolutely ruthless when they think it necessary, and people are far too trusting. I have seen people go to HR and things go very badly for them as a result.
The best way to think of HR is a risk management function for human beings. They are there to minimize an organisation’s exposure to humans. People misunderstand this and think that HR are a neutral ear that they can go to if they have a problem, but this is absolutely not the case. If you go to them with an issue, never presume that they will not share it with your manager.
This does not mean that HR have no role to play in banks and funds. There is one circumstance where they are valuable and that is when you are slightly ill. You must only be slightly ill, however. If you are too ill, they will start totting up the costs and will think about letting you go.
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