When I first started in HR over six years ago, I thought my job was about processes, policies, and people management, that we found the people with the right skills, they join, they learn, they grow and perhaps in the future they leave.

I quickly learned that while HR deals with policies, it’s much more complex, it’s about people, and people are, without fail, fascinatingly complex.

Over time, I realised I wasn’t just learning about contracts and compliance. I was getting a front-row seat to human behaviour in all its complexity, intensity and with every beautiful flaw that makes up our being.

While the office might not be a laboratory full of brain surgeons (in my case, it is still a lab full of scientists), but it’s certainly an ongoing study in how the human mind works.

1. We’re All Driven by the Same Core Needs

Behind every conversation about pay rises, promotions, or performance, there’s usually the same underlying desire: to feel valued, secure, and seen. Whether it’s a junior hire or a senior executive, the core emotional needs are remarkably consistent. The way people ask for these needs to be met might differ: some are direct, others hesitant, but the need itself is universal.

2. Behaviour Is Often a Mask for Something Deeper

HR is full of moments where someone’s reaction seems disproportionate. Be it tears in a meeting, rage in an email, or complete withdrawal (quiet quitting, we call that on LinkedIn). At first glance, it can feel like a simple case of “bad behaviour.” But almost always, there’s something deeper: burnout, insecurity, a personal crisis, past triggers or an old wound being pressed. The behaviour is the symptom; the real story is underneath.

3. We Can Be Victims of Our Own Success

One of the most surprising patterns I’ve seen is how often success brings its own set of struggles. People reach a level they once dreamed about; the promotion, the big title, the corner office, only to feel a strange mix of pride and emptiness. Success can fuel insecurity, because the higher you climb, the more there is to lose. It’s easy to feel like an imposter, or to wonder if you’ve peaked. I’ve seen talented, accomplished people sabotage themselves because the fear of falling became louder than the joy of standing tall.

4. Communication Is Our Biggest Strength and Weakness

I’ve seen brilliant people struggle in their careers not because they lacked skills, but because they struggled to express themselves, or to listen. Conversely, I’ve seen others flourish simply because they knew how to frame their ideas and navigate difficult conversations. Our ability to connect, misinterpret, persuade, or withdraw often shapes our success more than our technical abilities ever could; it’s the core foundation of human connection, knowing your audience and being adaptable. It’s what makes the best salespeople hit the most unachievable targets, but it plays to a part of us we may not even be acutely aware of.

5. Change Triggers Our Primal Instincts

A restructure, a new leader, or a sudden shift in company strategy can feel like a threat to safety. I’ve learned that when people resist change, it’s rarely about the change itself, but more so, it’s about the fear of losing control, relevance, or the ‘stability’ they have become accustomed to. HR taught me that the best way to help people adapt isn’t just to tell them what is changing, but to acknowledge and support what they’re feeling before, during and after the change.

6. Self-Awareness Is Rare, but Game-Changing

The colleagues who thrive most aren’t necessarily the smartest or the most experienced. I recently interviewed several CEO’s, and the common theme they all brought to the interview room was not needing to be the smartest person in the room, and letting the experts be the experts. They’re the ones who can see themselves clearly for the value they bring to the boardroom table. They notice their blind spots, accept feedback, and understand how they affect others. HR has shown me that self-awareness isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a superpower that makes navigating both work and life infinitely easier.

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How It Changed Me

Working in HR has made me more curious about the why behind people’s actions, and my own. It’s what ultimately drew me toward studying psychology, because I realised that my favourite part of the job wasn’t the process or the paperwork. It was the moments where I saw the human mind at work in real time: the hesitation before a “yes,” the way someone’s posture changes when they feel understood, the quiet relief in knowing they’ve been heard.

If there’s one thing HR has taught me, it’s that every decision, every reaction, every word is shaped by something deeper; our core beliefs, experiences, fears, and hopes we carry, often unconsciously. The workplace just happens to be one of the most revealing places to see it all unfold.

And the more I learn about the human mind, the more I realise this: we’re all just figuring it out as we go.