Karl Burnett, VP of HR at A+E Networks: 'I'm only human (resources) after all'

Karl Burnett, VP of HR at A+E Networks, speaks to HR Grapevine about the pressures on HR to be an organisational 'role model', living and breathing a company's values, whilst being an authentic leader...

"'I didn’t know you drank beer' – is a comment I’ve often heard when someone catches me at a work social event. Just why people would assume that I’ve taken some sort of monastic vow is beyond me – but without a doubt – there is definitely a prevailing view of HR as some sort of ‘holier than thou’ priest-type figure. 'Watch what you’re saying, HR are over there!' is another one, which makes me think, so we’re some sort of fun-police, ensuring that no one enjoys themselves too much?

"I certainly never joined this profession to be a kill-joy. I know that the ‘people agenda’ is one of the most important priorities in our business and, with these clichés hanging around our necks, my team and I will never enjoy the status among our peers that we deserve.

"With all the discussions about authenticity in leadership, it seems obvious to me that for HR to be taken seriously, we just need to be ourselves. At A+E Networks, one of our company values is 'Be You'. It’s all about championing our differences and developing our potential. In HR, we need to be confident that we have a crucial role to play in creating and role modelling a great culture – but that’s not going to happen by pretending we’re something we’re not. We aren’t automatically the best managers. We don’t automatically manage talent better than everyone else. We can’t automatically drive performance in our teams better than everyone else. My belief is that by honestly sharing our personal experiences - and our failings – we can be far more effective in our roles.