The Historical Underpinnings of HR

HR is not your friend, they say. They’re a necessary evil, they say. When did the human resources department acquire this reputation? Should we consider them employee welfare workers, or are they only in service of corporate interests? On this episode, we’re joined by HR expert and startup advisor Rusty Rueff to talk about the real and totally relatable story of “Darren” and a weekend-ruining email, the origins of human resources, and how it’s come to represent the broken social contract between employee and employer.