Pros
Smart, challenging coworkers pursuing good work to serve great members
Cons
SHRM has a toxic workplace culture, developed and perpetuated by the CEO Johnny Taylor. The phrase “s rolls downhill” could not apply more. Pressure from the CEO to conform trickles down to Executive Leadership which in turn trickles down to all levels of the organization. It is a culture of fear, that is intentionally perpetuated by those at the senior level. Meetings have been held to reinforce that leadership has an “open door policy” and those with “different opinions” won’t be terminated. This. Should. Not. Have. To. Be. Said. Employees do not feel safe to speak with peers over slack or email for fear of it being shared or leadership learning of their different viewpoints on issues. The level of paranoia here is crippling. Unhealthy competition is a part of everyday life at SHRM. One of the guiding principles is “collaborative openness” but people are paralyzed by fear of sharing ideas because it could prove to be a “win” for another part of the organization and in turn another senior leader that doesn’t happen to be yours. Or even worse, you’ll just be shown the door. The “Flexible and Agile” guiding principle is a catch all for the sloppy and reactive work and a reflection of the staff not living up to the “Excellence and Accountability” principle. It’s also for last minute requests based on whatever is in the news that leadership wants to hitch their ride to or be aligned with. Politics run rampant and are at every level. What side of the aisle would have forced employees to return to work the minute the governor lifted the stay at home order? That’s the side the CEO and the organization is on. The irony is appalling. SHRM’s HR is borderline non-existent at “the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace.” HR serves the employer and that’s consistent with the Editorial content that also serves the work and the workplace—never the worker. In the post-COVID-19 world, SHRM employees (most of whom could easily continue to work from home) have been in office as of June 1 until recently when they were “gifted” time away from the office due to more COVID-19 cases. This is the CEO’s preference and politics and it will result in major challenges for employees. Johnny Taylor is the Donald Trump of associations, a self-promotional, emotional, and defensive leader lacking substance. Surrounding himself with fixers and yes men and firing at will with no cause. In 2020 SHRM quickly terminates outspoken critics, a change.org campaign powers on, and multiple media publications come out against CEO Johnny Taylor due to lack of support for Black Lives Matter, the LGBTQ+ community, internal management dysfunction, and a lack of Board oversight. See reviews in late January 2020 over three days where seven five star reviews are posted, all using the same language: “good place to work,” “no cons at this time.” Ask yourself, do these sound like real employees with real experiences?