C4.81 Foreign HR Practices

One of the tricks of foreign HR directors

As the top boss of the entire HR department, the foreign HR director manages several direct subordinates. Usually, the second-in-command (the direct subordinate closest to the boss) tends to throw their weight around by virtue of the boss’s authority. (It’s advisable not to badmouth company leaders, share any secrets, or gossip with this person—word will get to the boss in no time, and then your career will hit a dead end.) Under normal circumstances, the foreign HR director won’t bother with trivial matters. However, occasionally, to fulfill certain tasks or in special situations (such as being criticized by their own superiors or encountering something unpleasant), they will take the lead in making a fuss over minor issues.

For example, once the foreign HR director suddenly called us over and asked us to fill out a form on the spot with some trivial questions. Two of the items required us to write down our strengths and weaknesses at work, with a mandatory requirement of listing at least 3 weaknesses. Being as naive as I was, I honestly wrote down 3 genuine weaknesses I thought I had, while everyone else listed flaws that are common to all humans. The HR director then read through each form and commented one by one, but he wasn’t satisfied—none of the answers gave him a legitimate reason to vent his frustration. Finally, he got to my form. At that moment, his eyes suddenly lit up like 24-karat gold. He looked at me and started asking, “Why do you think you’re XXXXXXX (the weakness I wrote)?” Then he launched into a passionate and scathing rant that lasted half an hour. First, he tore into me (not with profanity—true skill in criticizing doesn’t require a single swear word), then he tore into everyone else. Finally, he took a couple of sips of water and said “Dismissed” with satisfaction