Are you good enough? How Feeling Like and Imposter Can Be Even Worse if you work in HR!

Many human resources (HR) professionals experience feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy known as imposter syndrome or imposter phenomenon. The two terms are used interchangeably but the difference between the two is that a syndrome is something you either have or you don’t, whereas a phenomenon shows up on occasions. The whole imposter thing refers to an internal experience of believing that successes have been the result of luck rather than ability, and a fear of being exposed as a "fraud". Imposter feelings are surprisingly common, even among people that seem to have it all together.

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Here's a look at how it can show up for those working in HR roles:

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Feeling Like an Outsider

HR professionals often act as the link between employees and upper management. However, many feel like outsiders in both groups. Sound familiar? They may feel intimidated interacting with senior managers and unsure if they truly belong among leadership ranks. At the same time, non-HR coworkers can view HR as the "police" there to enforce unwanted policies. It is a strange dynamic that can fuel imposter type thoughts.

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Fear of Being Exposed as Incompetent

HR professionals need to master a wide range of competencies from compliance knowledge to recruiting skills. There's always more to learn, and a nagging feeling that something in our knowledge isn't enough. Imposters live in fear that a question will arise exposing gaps in their expertise. Even highly trained HR pros often secretly worry they don't know what they're doing. But none of us know everything and it is ok to go and check things out.

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Feeling Uncomfortable with Promoting Own Success

HR work is often collaborative, with successes dependent on input from many parties. Imposter syndrome can cause HR professionals to downplay their contributions rather than take credit for accomplishments. They may fail to go for promotions or ask for higher pay, convinced they haven't earned it. We all tend to hear negative feedback louder than positive feedback but when you feel like an imposter it is even more common to

discount positive feedback. I can relate. I recently met with an former manager and mentor and finally realised, after 14 years, that he had meant the positive feedback he had given me all those years ago! Good to finally realise it, but a shame not to have taken the positive feedback that I so badly needed at the time.

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Perfectionistic Tendencies

Many accomplished HR professionals set extremely high expectations for themselves. When they inevitably can't complete every task perfectly, self-criticism follows leading to the vicious cycle where any mistake seems to confirm inner feelings of incompetence. Perfectionists also tend to overprepare out of fear they won't measure up, which can lead to a lot of work and long hours which can lead to all sorts of problems.

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Difficulty Recognising Expertise

Anyone who is experienced in HR will have developed expertise from years in the field. However, the imposter thoughts can mean they struggle to own their competence and believe they have as much to offer as others. They disregard the unique skills and insights gained from their experience. Imposter syndrome also causes them to hesitate when serving as mentors or advisers, downplaying the wisdom they can impart. This a huge waste for all of us and certainly something I have done in the past.

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Everyone suffers from some form of imposter phenomenon at times but for those in the HR professional, that unique role between business and employees is set up in a way that can make these feelings stronger. A first step is to recognise these thoughts. It can be useful to keep a track of where the feelings show up and if there is a particular trigger for them. Then asking for specific feedback, from someone you can trust to be balanced, can help to rationalise some of these thoughts. ?

Having a mentor to discuss them with and building a network of other HR people can help you feel more supported and know you aren’t the only one to feel this way!

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