The engineering metaphor

Too much of HR is treated like internal marketing. - Convincing people everything is fine. - Selling the “isn’t our company great?” message. But what if HR is closer to engineering than marketing? Think about an engineering manager in a factory. Their job isn’t to make machines look good in company colours — it’s to keep the line running. - Fix breakdowns quickly. - Do preventative maintenance before things fall apart. - Focus on uptime and performance, not appearances. Now imagine HR the same way. We’re here to… - Fix people problems when things break down. - Do preventative maintenance through pay, benefits, and development. - Keep the organisation running smoothly. Not flashy. Not lemon-yellow conveyor belts. Just practical, focused, and essential. So here’s the challenge: Are you running HR like a marketing manager… …or like an engineering manager?