The Civil Service can feel small when you are looking for a new challenge and not getting the job. So many departments and agencies to choose from but recruitment controls mean every vacancy is fiercely contested.

It makes you look in the mirror and wonder why you are not the right person in the right place at the right time. The rejection emailed to your inbox. Corporate adages drowning in platitudes, imagining your disappointment and regretting to inform you that other people are better suited to the role than you.

It’s not just young people, graduates and over fifties who are struggling in the labour market. In this challenging environment, nearly everyone is wondering why their day jobs are not providing the skills and experience for the next level, sideways or private sector move. Busy being busy, second-screening and panicking about AI stealing our livelihoods distracted us from the truth.

The career ladder has changed; the rungs are harder to reach and the disconnect between what people do and what organisations want is a standing agenda item. Lines have been drawn in this age of uncertainty between those who have what organisations need now and those who have a role and function now, but not the evidence to achieve promotion.

An uncertain present and future await. It’s time for HR to work with the business and expert functions to attract, recruit and retain talent. To say workforce planning is essential to our DNA without bursting into laughter. The solution must be scientific, emotional, strategic and even holistic if people remember what it means.

HR professionals feel the pressure and disappointment too. With the media and LinkedIn commentators debating what purpose HR serves, I can confirm HR is not for wimps and HR is not a Spectator when it comes to sickness absence and workplace attendance.

HR Existence Debate

After the “DIE EDI” campaign that has been happening across the globe to stop “fake woke jobs”, HR was the next obvious target in the profession dart board. Apparently DEI isn’t dead, it’s just reincarnating which is a good idea as it must adapt and, like HR, take heed of the advice: “Don’t tell people what to think” from the BBC’s Nick Robinson at the CIPD Annual Conference.

He urged HR leaders to focus on their core responsibilities and resist the temptation to dictate cultural or ideological norms. Warning against the arrogance of assuming moral or ideological certainty, presuming to know what’s “right” and cultural change must be earned. I interpret that as HR professional must be business-savvy, outcome-focused and productive.

HR professionals may have been feeling increased scrutiny regarding their meaning and purpose when writing personal statements and STAR examples to demonstrate their capabilities. Playing snap with job adverts to prove they have the essential skills and eat strategy, culture and high-level decision-making for breakfast.

The media headlines about HR include How HR took over British business and got in the way of actual work, Listening circles at the Home Office. This is HR let loose, HR Britain: how human resources captured the nation, Is HR under attack – and is the CIPD having an identity crisis? and Does HR still need humans?

This was a LinkedIn post from an HR professional: “Been on LI for a while now, and Im honestly shocked at how many posts I come across from HR professionals explaining or defending their job and function. I see no other profession doing the same. Are we really in 2025 and still not understanding the role of modern HR? Seriously?!”

What the CIPD are saying

If HR is receiving constructive feedback, it’s logical the HR trade body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is feeling the burn too. HR Magazine reported that Peter Cheese, the CIPD’s outgoing chief executive, opened the annual conference by speaking about the pressures facing the profession and to “face into some of the criticism”. Cheese encouraged HR professionals to “tell our story better” by emphasising the strategic value and impact of the profession.

I am an HR communicator and storyteller and this should be my time to shine. It is the age of employee activism and getting value for money. The cross-government HR community needs to show the world what HR does and make it mutually beneficial for the department and our careers. Let’s make our CIPD subscriptions worthwhile so we’re sucking oranges and our critics are sucking lemons. Just kidding. All debate is welcome if we live our values! How can HR reinvent itself to show how much it does and achieves?

David D’Souza, director of profession at the CIPD, responded to my questions and you can follow my HR Shield Wall campaign online to find out more.

Q) What is your message to CIPD members who are reading posts and articles about the relevance of the CIPD?

David: ‘We do see all the negative articles and posts and engage with them by providing interviews or comment when media make us aware of them ahead. While some criticism should always be expected of any company, and is listened to, it doesn’t reflect the full scope of our work or our members who carry their well-earned designation with pride. Nor does it represent the scale of resources and benefits we provide to our members, to help them make an impact at work by creating the right environments to improve performance and productivity by helping people flourish.’

‘A lot of it is also at odds with what we hear from most of our members. Our membership numbers are growing all the time and our relationships with organisations and voice with government and policy makers have never been stronger. It’s also important to see things in the round. For every negative article we see in the media, there will countless other examples of other journalists at that title and across other national media, coming to us for our insights and expertise. It’s not reasonable to judge an organisation or an entire profession on its more challenging moments and we’re keen to highlight more of the work that the profession and we are doing to positively impact the world of work.’