An Open Letter to SHRM: Do Better.

Why I’m Not Giving Up on You, Despite Frustration.

Dear Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM),

I am writing to you to process my internal knots. My hope is to use my gift of writing to help me process my combative emotions and feelings about you. Do I think by my writing you will change? No. I do not. But I don’t write this for you. I write it for me. Whether you listen to it or not, well, that’s outside my control.

In their song titled, There’s Nothing Left, Pt. 1, the band Flogging Molly writes:

Dear Majesty,

I kneel at your feet

Though my heart, it tells me, I am wrong

For I am my own man and these are my needs

And without them your sovereign will be lost

I remember the day I earned my first pay

Belittled and ground to a halt

I rose with the flames from my father’s remains

I buried when I was a pup

Here we are now,

Here we are now

The Devil has spoke and he’s not very bright

Here we are now,

Here we are now

Take me away and deliver what’s right

Here we are now

Here we are now

The Devil has spoke and he’s not very bright

Here we are now

Here we are now

The Devil has spoke

And he’s not

Very bright

These lyrics are a reminder to the protagonist that though he is under the English crown, as an Irishman, he knows there is more for him and his people. Those who claim sovereignty over people don’t always have their best interests at heart.

SHRM, you do not have sovereignty over the HR profession. Not close. Thought, there are times when you act like it. Regardless, you do have a wide breadth of influence – whether people realize it or not, or whether people want to admit it or not. You, SHRM, are large. You do have power. And please let me remind you, that with great power comes great responsibility.

Unfortunately, I feel you have not wielded yours well over the past several years.

As a dedicated HR professional, I’ve always valued organizations that support and uplift the field. For many of us, SHRM, you have been a cornerstone of our professional development and advocacy.

In fact, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. In my early days, I used your resources with vigor. Many templates, articles, and advice columns helped me when I was young and inexperienced.

For that I truly thank you.

I worked incredibly hard to achieve my Professional Certification in HR through SHRM – first my SHRM-CP and then my SHRM-SCP. There is little doubt these credentials helped me gain credibility, and, therefore, career prospects. I was part of the amazing SHRM Blogger Team at 2019 National Conference in Las Vegas. That experience was full of remarkable memories, and I am still friends with many folks I met and learned from at that time. Some are very near and dear friends.

Again, for that, SHRM, I truly thank you. However, relationships sometimes break down, and I feel ours has hit a very rough patch.

Many of your recent actions have left me disillusioned, and I feel compelled to address my concerns openly. While I’m not giving up on you yet, SHRM, I have disengaged because I strongly believe you need to do better, particularly regarding your recent decisions, but the tipping point was your removal of the “E” from DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).

Since your announcement of removing the “E” from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in all SHRM academic, promotional, and educational materials and communication, there has been a firestorm within the HR community, as well as adjacent business communities. I’m not sure you saw it coming. Maybe you did, but regardless, your arrogance is frustrating, and you deserve the backlash. I could elaborate on this firestorm, but so many other amazing HR professionals have voiced their concerns (very powerfully and eloquently) about this on LinkedIn and elsewhere. You can easily search for their takes, SHRM, which are far more valuable than anything I’d write on the topic. But will you? Have you? Even if the answer is yes, did you learn? Will you care?

All I will say is that your decision to not include the E in DEI is not just a symbolic change; it has real-world implications. Equity is crucial in addressing systemic disparities and ensuring that everyone has fair access to opportunities – especially at work. Removing the “E” from the conversation is not only inexcusable but also dangerous. It undermines the very foundation of what many HR professionals strive to achieve in our workplaces—fairness and justice.

As someone who considers himself a Stoic at heart, I have been diving into the philosophical principles of justice very deeply lately. Stoicism teaches us that justice is about giving others what is due to them and acting with fairness. It’s about recognizing the inherent value and dignity of every individual. Justice is about leadership. It is about caring for others and doing our duty for them. I consider justice an action. Justice is doing the right thing, right now. When you, SHRM, an organization that should be leading by example, fails to uphold these values, it not only betrays the HR community but also fails the broader society we serve.

The HR profession is built on the ideal of supporting employees, creating equitable workplaces, and ensuring that organizations operate with integrity. Your recent actions have not aligned with these ideals. You seem to have lost sight of what it means to truly support HR professionals in creating just workplaces. This disconnect is disappointing, but it also presents an opportunity for reflection and improvement.

Despite my disappointment, I’m not giving up on you, SHRM. While disengaging from the national participation, I am still looking forward to working with local level SHRM Chapters. I wrote prior that many local SHRM chapters were fighting injustice in the workplace, much more than you at the National level, SHRM. I will still advise young professionals that SHRM, while flawed, has some good information worth knowing. I will also advise anyone willing and wanting to get certified in one of the SHRM credentials to do it. It’s an amazing experience that leads to a lot of pride.

Albeit I won’t advise you’re the end all be all, SHRM. You do not hold a monopoly on the HR profession, and there are MANY other professional groups and resources worth engaging in to learn, network, and grow.

I look to Tracie Sponenberg’s list for more information.

I may be naïve, but I prefer to lead with optimism until proven wrong. I believe in the potential of this organization to be a positive force in our field. However, for you to regain the trust of many of your members, both current and former, and truly embody the principles you proport to espouse, you must acknowledge your shortcomings and take concrete steps to address them. This includes reinstating the focus on equity in DEI initiatives and genuinely practicing what you preach.

To my fellow HR professionals that may be reading this, I encourage you to hold SHRM accountable in whatever way you feel makes sense to you. Whatever that is, we need to demand better from the organizations that represent us, whether we are members or not. SHRM has a voice that it uses, and many will attach their voice to ours whether we want it to be or not. This is unfair, but it’s the truth. It’s one of the reasons I write this letter. I need the record to show not all of us agree with their dishonorable actions. Our profession deserves advocacy and leadership that reflect the values of justice, inclusivity, AND equity. By standing together, we can ensure that SHRM—and all organizations—truly live up to the ideals they promote.

While I remain critical of your recent decisions, SHRM, I am hopeful for change. The HR profession is too important to give up on, and so is your role in it. Let’s work together to ensure that you do better, not just for us but for the countless employees and organizations our beloved profession supports and serves.

Kindest wishes,

Paul A. LaLonde, SHRM-SCP, CCAP

HR Professional, Philosopher, and Advocate for Humanity

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