HR Is Broken – Here’s How We Fix It

HR isn’t protecting people. It’s protecting companies. But what if that’s the problem?In this raw and eye-opening conversation, Georgia from Access HR sits down with Shane Mays, startup veteran and ER (employee relations) specialist for a brutally honest deep-dive into the real purpose of HR, why it’s broken, and how we can rebuild it from the inside out.From his beginnings as a software engineer to leading people teams at fast-scaling startups, Shane brings a human-first perspective to the most misunderstood function in business today.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why HR still feels like the company’s bodyguard and how to change itThe hidden cost of treating ER as a legal processHow to scale employee relations without burning outThe power of playbooks, trust, and co-creation in leadershipIf you’ve ever felt stuck between doing what’s “compliant” and doing what’s right, this episode will shift your thinking, for good.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and share with someone who needs to hear this.Chapters 00:00:00 – HR Is Not Here to Protect You00:01:16 – Meet Shane: From Engineering to HR00:03:04 – Why He Stayed in People Ops00:04:36 – What Employee Relations Really Means00:07:13 – Social Media, Fear & Legal Influence00:09:17 – Why ER Needs a Human-First Lens00:11:39 – A Manager’s Mistake: Process Before People00:16:03 – Building a Legal Wall vs. Human Bridge00:19:12 – Why Leaders Need a Compass, Not a Policy00:22:18 – Make Playbooks Public. Remove the Ambush.00:23:35 – How ER Changes as You Scale00:25:06 – Teach People How to Eat00:27:09 – Co-Create Your ER Strategy00:28:59 – Flexing Your ER Muscle Without the Cases00:30:34 – You Don’t Need a Pocket Lawyer00:33:16 – You’ll Never Have All the Answers—And That’s Okay00:34:26 – The One Thing Shane Would Tell His Younger Self