Anonymous
07/05/2025 22:48
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Anonymous wrote:Hahaha. HR leader here. I don't think I've ever left at 5pm in my entire career.
People do stupid things (sexual harassment, hostile work environment) that create liability for the company and it's my job to resolve it.
I am expected to fix bad leaders, squeaky wheels, heard cats, put ducks in a row, etc., etc.
I am expected to figure out how to get 5000 people through COVID and be sensitive to their family needs, fears, and frustrations.
I'm expected to keep everyone happy so the good people don't quit.
I'm expected to fix the bad performers so we don't have any bad performers.
I hand out tissues to crying people in my office on the regular. Employees with a cancer diagnosis, death in the family, family back home in Ukraine, South Sudan, or Israel/Gaza.
I also hand out tissues to the whiney, entitled brats who think they should get promotions, pay raises, and accolades for being extremely mediocre at their jobs.
I take calls from stressed out leaders during evening and weekend hours because that's when they have time to talk about it.
I give pep talks to great employees who deserve one but their leaders aren't noticing or are to self-absorbed to pause and say thank you to someone working hard for them once in a while.
I tell the intern to stop watching Netflix at his desk and do some work.
And I do give financial presentations regularly because in a consulting firm all colleagues are knowledge workers so salaries are our biggest expense.
These examples only scratch the surface and none of them are hypothetical. Yes, some elements of my job involve being a cop (unfortunately), but by the time you get to VP level, you have to be a lot more strategic than that.
What was your major in college?
Anonymous
07/04/2025 13:27
Subject: Best and worst high level job
In my non-profit, the VP of Development (ie head of fundraising) is the worst job. Lots of kissing up to wealthy people and also managing the most high strung personalities in the org. If the economy tanks and people aren’t giving money, guess who is blamed?
The best is probably one of the programmatic VPs, maybe Communications.
The best is probably one of the programmatic VPs, maybe Communications.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 12:29
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:*VP of HR
I work for a 6,000 employees company, and have access to everyone salaries/bonus. Here is what I saw:
Senior VP of Cybersecurity: 800K/yr with 100K annual bonus,
Senior VP of Finance: 950K/yr with 200K annual bonus,
Senior VP of HR: 350K/yr with 50K annual bonus,
I will take 400k for those responsible. If we get sued I will find my counsel to deal with it.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:53
Subject: Best and worst high level job
As a former Controller, I can attest that it’s a stressful, thankless, never ending job.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:36
Subject: Best and worst high level job
HR VP is the worst. You get paid very little to deal with the most annoying people of the organization.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 10:25
Subject: Best and worst high level job
I would think the HR VP role would be brutal. The buck stops with you. You're going to deal with the messiest parts of personnel issues and all that entails. Unless you’re talking about a very, very small company. And even then, you may not have attorneys to easily turn to as you would in a bigger organization. I think it's a hard job.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 10:15
Subject: Re:Best and worst high level job
In the F1000 gov't contractor company I worked for, the EVP for HR role changed over relatively rapidly and consistently. The role was perceived as responsible for hiring and retaining the bodies promised to the government to fulfill contract requirements, and took the blame when people with the required qualifications proved hard to recruit, despite HR having had no role in promising to find them, and having no say in the compensation offered to meet the company's profit objectives. The role was well compensated, in the mid-upper 6-figures range, but did not provide for much job security.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 09:17
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Anonymous wrote:Hahaha. HR leader here. I don't think I've ever left at 5pm in my entire career.
People do stupid things (sexual harassment, hostile work environment) that create liability for the company and it's my job to resolve it.
I am expected to fix bad leaders, squeaky wheels, heard cats, put ducks in a row, etc., etc.
I am expected to figure out how to get 5000 people through COVID and be sensitive to their family needs, fears, and frustrations.
I'm expected to keep everyone happy so the good people don't quit.
I'm expected to fix the bad performers so we don't have any bad performers.
I hand out tissues to crying people in my office on the regular. Employees with a cancer diagnosis, death in the family, family back home in Ukraine, South Sudan, or Israel/Gaza.
I also hand out tissues to the whiney, entitled brats who think they should get promotions, pay raises, and accolades for being extremely mediocre at their jobs.
I take calls from stressed out leaders during evening and weekend hours because that's when they have time to talk about it.
I give pep talks to great employees who deserve one but their leaders aren't noticing or are to self-absorbed to pause and say thank you to someone working hard for them once in a while.
I tell the intern to stop watching Netflix at his desk and do some work.
And I do give financial presentations regularly because in a consulting firm all colleagues are knowledge workers so salaries are our biggest expense.
These examples only scratch the surface and none of them are hypothetical. Yes, some elements of my job involve being a cop (unfortunately), but by the time you get to VP level, you have to be a lot more strategic than that.
Hi - fellow exec here. Thanks for this post. I don't think I fully appreciated your role and this helps.
Anonymous
06/28/2025 16:26
Subject: Best and worst high level job
HR can be brutal, especially in industries like tech with constant layoffs.
Anonymous
06/27/2025 17:35
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Hahaha. HR leader here. I don't think I've ever left at 5pm in my entire career.
People do stupid things (sexual harassment, hostile work environment) that create liability for the company and it's my job to resolve it.
I am expected to fix bad leaders, squeaky wheels, heard cats, put ducks in a row, etc., etc.
I am expected to figure out how to get 5000 people through COVID and be sensitive to their family needs, fears, and frustrations.
I'm expected to keep everyone happy so the good people don't quit.
I'm expected to fix the bad performers so we don't have any bad performers.
I hand out tissues to crying people in my office on the regular. Employees with a cancer diagnosis, death in the family, family back home in Ukraine, South Sudan, or Israel/Gaza.
I also hand out tissues to the whiney, entitled brats who think they should get promotions, pay raises, and accolades for being extremely mediocre at their jobs.
I take calls from stressed out leaders during evening and weekend hours because that's when they have time to talk about it.
I give pep talks to great employees who deserve one but their leaders aren't noticing or are to self-absorbed to pause and say thank you to someone working hard for them once in a while.
I tell the intern to stop watching Netflix at his desk and do some work.
And I do give financial presentations regularly because in a consulting firm all colleagues are knowledge workers so salaries are our biggest expense.
These examples only scratch the surface and none of them are hypothetical. Yes, some elements of my job involve being a cop (unfortunately), but by the time you get to VP level, you have to be a lot more strategic than that.
People do stupid things (sexual harassment, hostile work environment) that create liability for the company and it's my job to resolve it.
I am expected to fix bad leaders, squeaky wheels, heard cats, put ducks in a row, etc., etc.
I am expected to figure out how to get 5000 people through COVID and be sensitive to their family needs, fears, and frustrations.
I'm expected to keep everyone happy so the good people don't quit.
I'm expected to fix the bad performers so we don't have any bad performers.
I hand out tissues to crying people in my office on the regular. Employees with a cancer diagnosis, death in the family, family back home in Ukraine, South Sudan, or Israel/Gaza.
I also hand out tissues to the whiney, entitled brats who think they should get promotions, pay raises, and accolades for being extremely mediocre at their jobs.
I take calls from stressed out leaders during evening and weekend hours because that's when they have time to talk about it.
I give pep talks to great employees who deserve one but their leaders aren't noticing or are to self-absorbed to pause and say thank you to someone working hard for them once in a while.
I tell the intern to stop watching Netflix at his desk and do some work.
And I do give financial presentations regularly because in a consulting firm all colleagues are knowledge workers so salaries are our biggest expense.
These examples only scratch the surface and none of them are hypothetical. Yes, some elements of my job involve being a cop (unfortunately), but by the time you get to VP level, you have to be a lot more strategic than that.
Anonymous
06/27/2025 13:28
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Anonymous wrote:*VP of HR
I work for a 6,000 employees company, and have access to everyone salaries/bonus. Here is what I saw:
Senior VP of Cybersecurity: 800K/yr with 100K annual bonus,
Senior VP of Finance: 950K/yr with 200K annual bonus,
Senior VP of HR: 350K/yr with 50K annual bonus,
Anonymous
06/27/2025 12:53
Subject: Best and worst high level job
*VP of HR
Anonymous
06/27/2025 12:53
Subject: Best and worst high level job
Our HR of VP does give financial presentations. Oversight on spend on consultants vs employees, benefits, bonuses, etc.
Anonymous
06/27/2025 12:51
Subject: Re:Best and worst high level job
I assume this is reflected in pay packages OP.
Anonymous
06/27/2025 12:39
Subject: Best and worst high level job
IMHO:
Best: VP of HR. Seriously, how much pressure does this job have? Nobody is going to beat on you for a marketing plan or financial presentation. Just process people, protect the company and leave at 5:00. You're the company cop.
Worst: Corporate/Global Controller. This position is generally not at the very top management level, has enormous responsibility that is more stressful than a lot of C level people and the hours can really suck.
Best: VP of HR. Seriously, how much pressure does this job have? Nobody is going to beat on you for a marketing plan or financial presentation. Just process people, protect the company and leave at 5:00. You're the company cop.
Worst: Corporate/Global Controller. This position is generally not at the very top management level, has enormous responsibility that is more stressful than a lot of C level people and the hours can really suck.