3 work problems HR can’t solve for you, from an HR professional

Amy Lentz.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amy Lentz, the Chief People Officer at Toms and founder of Hack Your HR in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I’ve been the chief people officer at Toms Shoes for four years. I manage the nuts and bolts of human resources, including recruiting, onboarding, and succession planning.

I also began Hack Your HR in 2023, where I create short-form content in the HR space. In my Instagram videos, I share advice to help people get ahead in their corporate jobs and information about the back end of HR.

I help people understand how to advocate for themselves at work, what language to use with their managers, and how to ask for help if they’re not getting the support they need.

Although HR can help with a lot, they can’t fix every problem you may have as an employee. Here are three things you’re wasting your time on if you take them to HR.

1. HR can’t make decisions alone

Every HR department is run differently, so while HR tasks may vary, HR isn’t typically a decision-making entity but more of a recommending entity.

If someone wants a promotion and their manager says no, they might go to HR, thinking, “I’m going to appeal to HR, and then they will be able to decide if I get it.”

That’s like saying if I go to Mom and she doesn’t give me what I want, I will go to Dad. It doesn’t work like that.

Similarly, it can sometimes be misperceived that HR approves salaries. Typically, HR is the messenger for budgets, not the one deciding. We might recommend a number based on what’s legal, compliant, and makes sense within compensation guardrails, but ultimately, someone else might make that decision, like executive leadership or finance.

2. HR can’t guarantee your growth

You might want to grow in your role or make more money, but as HR, I need to support the department’s needs, which may have other hiring priorities that don’t have room for your growth.

The best thing you can do is know what you want. If you’ve expressed a desire to grow and haven’t been able to showcase your value, I recommend bringing it up with your manager during performance review season.

On HR’s end, they need to be transparent on whether a promotion is possible for you. If a company isn’t profitable, if there’s been a communicated hiring freeze, or if a promotion is desired but the direct manager has provided performance-related feedback and there hasn’t been enough time to show improvement, then it’s not the right time to ask.

3 HR can’t advocate for you without you

People often assume that their boss or HR will come to them with promotions or opportunities, but HR can’t just get you a job or a promotion — you have to advocate for it.

People who create growth plans and are a positive squeaky wheel get much further ahead than those who are passive. They ask themselves: What do I want? Where am I now? Where do I want to go? Then, they make a plan to get there, and they’re vocal about it.

When you first start with a company, I recommend setting up an informational conversation with HR so you can ask about available resources. Also, ask about the performance review process, resources for growth and development, whether a mentor program exists, and any opportunities HR provides to staff that may not be publicized.

HR can’t do everything for you, but they can help you to the greatest of their ability if you do your part, too.