Most companies have some kind of employee recognition programme, or at least a place to say “well done” and “kudos” when team members do something well; a way to socialise what “good” looks like in this company. But People people can be notably absent.

An HR friend recently told me “it’s hard to feel good about your job when no-one can really tell you ‘that went well”.

In past jobs:

🤝🏻 I’ve been thanked for helping someone realise they needed to leave the company - they regained their sense of control and were able to resign with dignity.

🌊 I’ve helped smooth over a rift where a senior leader has deeply hurt members of their team.

🧩 I’ve picked up the pieces when a colleague has “gone rogue” and failed to follow the law when making People changes.

None of these, nor the hundreds of other examples my fellow HR folks could share, are achievements we can post on a board or shout about to the rest of the team.

Among the recent spate of layoffs, there’ll be conscientious People people delivering the best damn employee experience possible, making people feel heard and cared about. But no-one’s going to bake them a cake for it.

Don’t mistake me, I’m not crying about it - it’s the job I signed up for, and part of that is being able to rely on our own sense of right and wrong to determine if we’re proud of what we’ve done.

But who takes care of the People people?

It’s no wonder that the People community is so strong and that HR networks are some of the most developed across industries. We take care of each other. We’re also often the ones making good use of professional and personal development and support - like coaching, therapy, and networks.

My coach helps me understand myself better, and I offer the same to my own clients whether they’re going through tricky times or just want to spend some time focusing on their own development.

You can reach out at hello@bobbinicholson.com - I’d love to hear from you.