Those of us who work in human resources know that employees tend to dislike — OK, more like hate — our mere existence. However, the actions of some HR folks have created a rather nasty and negative reputation for us all. From a stubbornness and rigidity for rule-following to an outright disdain for people, HR reps sometimes exhibit behaviors that aren't doing any of us any favors.

Thankfully, good, honest, and kind HR people do exist! I have always been an HR person who focuses on caring deeply about people and adding value to the businesses and people I support. That, unfortunately, is not how all HR people act or are perceived by others. For years, I have been hearing HR horror stories and about the utter hate employees feel toward HR.

So today, let's be brutally honest and lay it all out on the table. Below are eight reasons why employees tend to feel such immense dislike for HR professionals. Hopefully, my fellow HR reps can use this as motivation to shake the negativity, shift their perspectives, and simplify their mission to focus on helping people above all else.

1. They put policies over people.

HR people can, undoubtedly, be put into tough positions since they are frequently stuck between the will of upper management/owners and the wishes of employees. But even outside of those instances, consistently putting policies over people is never the way to go.

2. They focus on theory, not reality.

When you become so fanatical about theories and how things should be in a perfect world to the exclusion of acknowledging the reality employees are facing, you can create an awful lot of ill will among employees. Don't take the human out of human resources.

3. They act more important than they really are.

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