They are, but we could say similar things about cartels, drug smugglers etc.To you they're just criminals, to them, they're trying to survive and just doing their jobs. It doesn't mean it's a noble thing to be doing for a job.
I found the exchange very much "outsourced". The not manager were trying to convey the message. They have no skin except delivering the message in their best manor. They likely were given a script. They didn't make the decisions and were hired to be the buffer for emotions that would naturally develop.
I'm thinking the best way is to quick rip the bandaid. "Your position has been eliminated. Your severance is four months. Your check will be direct deposited today"
So yes, the job of HR is to hire and fire people. And of course doing some human resources things, but in reality protect the company.
And please don't compare HR to cartels, cheez. What the actual F? In the current state of everything, I more mad at the software engineers and not at anybody else in this world. The amount of crappy software, services and products available right now is absolutely gigantic, most of us work for corporations that don't value personal lives and privacy and ready to sell your data to anybody.
Please don't put yourself above the people who worked in HR.
It is like being mad at the nurse/doctor at the hospital, that can tell you that she cannot do something for free, just because it is policy of the hospital. Sure, if she refuses to cure a dying man - that is one thing. But in this case they just let go a few people from the company, not like they throw them under the bus.
If people do a job that is shitty to other people — including doing this zombie dance — they are absolutely part of the problem and should be called out for it.
>It is like being mad at the nurse/doctor at the hospital, that can tell you that she cannot do something for free, just because it is policy of the hospital.
If what the nurse cannot do is normal human decency, then yes, the nurse should be called out on it too and there's every reason to be mad at the person. You are using the “I'm just following orders” defence. It is a poor excuse and not a defence at all.
Aside from that there is a visible gender discrimination in the sector towards men as well the education discrimination. When these two are combined, they act as gatekeepers, which makes the whole sector worse.
Less psychologist and more law and economy graduates was how it was before. For them the communication is the key aspect of their careers, so most of them have it under their thumb. No one really complained about old Personnel Departments and the info was there and they were actually knowledgeable about their job.
The education really can make difference sometime. As we can see, these two do not know how to handle situation, and are repeating the speech that most of the people probably already heard, without thinking.
Hell, I think that someone could make HR AI that would do the better job.
Joking aside, drug smuggling isn't murdering people. It will often be mostly run as a very bland and boring transportation business, the same way people go back and forth across countries to go buy locally produced artisanal accessories to sell to select shops.
Funnily enough the first thing that came to my mind for "cartel" was bog standard market collusion among dominant players.