Can HR be Murder?

My dear friend, Dr. Melanie Peacock, recently published her first novel, ‘HR Can Be Murder’. How cool is that?!? I am so proud of her for this amazing accomplishment!

Being an avid reader, I couldn’t wait to dive in. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed. It is a fun, quick, and easy read that spoke to my HR practitioner’s heart. I want to share three key takeaways from the book:

1. The perspective of a junior employee is priceless – in the book, the main character is a young woman embarking on a career in HR. She is excited, nervous, and approaching everything with eyes wide open. I love how Melanie captured the breath of fresh air that a newbie can bring to the industry. At one point, she is attending a major HR conference for the first time and her excitement is palpable. I remember feeling that way when I started my career. I especially remember the emotions and adrenaline cycling through when I attended my first big industry event. Reading about this young woman’s career kickoff brought back a lot of fond memories for me that were fun to relive. I want to remember this as I strive to educate and mentor the future generations.

2. HR is not the only ones responsible for HR stuff – when the catastrophic main event takes place in the book, the head of HR reminds her team about the availability of the employee assistance program (EAP) as a resource during a difficult time. As I read this, it gave me pause…I wondered if any other leaders in the organization were telling their teams the same thing. Would the CFO or the head of marketing remember about the EAP? Or is this an organization the relies solely on its ‘HR people’ to handle these things? Management training is a topic that is near and dear to me; I conduct sessions regularly with leadership groups and HR practitioners. A deficit I see in many companies is the lack of empowerment to managers to assist with items that would be deemed ‘HR stuff’. When a true partnership exists amongst HR and management, the result is spectacular.

3. An author’s voice is crucial to their writing – as I was reading the novel, I could actually hear Melanie’s voice in my head. If you don’t actually know Melanie personally, her book will bring you closer. She has a quick wit and fantastic sense of humor, both of which came through in her writing. I appreciate when an author is authentic and allows their true self to shine through in their work. I remember great advice I was given when I started this blog to ‘just be yourself’ and it has served me well.

Working in HR is tough. It’s hard, especially right now. I know many peers who have recently left the industry or are contemplating doing so. Reading ‘HR Can Be Murder’ left me with a smile on my face and a little extra joy in my heart. I thank Dr. Melanie Peacock for this wonderful gift.

Here is the link to buy her book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ifRjkhq