The 4 Best “Rolling Stones” Songs for HR

What do the Rolling Stones and HR have in common? Well, tons of things; they’re both old, they’re both still relevant, they’re both awesome, and we all love them. Uhm, okay sort of. Music is a driving force of inspiration, it evokes emotion, passion and feelings and a lot of our favorites memories are set to music. Below are classic Rolling Stones tracks that I feel accurately captures the nature of the human resources profession.

4. Gimme Shelter

Where does everyone go within your organization for compassion, sympathy, support and shelter? If you said “human resources” give yourself a point because you are right. This is one of my all-time favorite tunes by the Stones. It’s so gritty and edgy and although the lyrics cover some very serious topics, an HR pro can play this in their office as they crank out some serious work. At some point or another who hasn’t thought, “Oh, a storm is threatening my very life today. If I don’t get some shelter, I’m gonna fade away” and of course HR is just a shot away.

3. Satisfaction

You know the chorus “I can’t get no satisfaction”, the use of the double negative might make your English professor cringe but it’s another great song known around the world. The basic theme of the song is that he can’t get any – appreciation – understanding or love. Human Resources is a great profession, but it’s a thankless job. We have a hard time getting any love from the executives or the employees but “we try and we try and we try!”

2. You Can’t Always Get What You Want

How many times have you made a request for a new system (maybe an applicant tracking system), new equipment, training programs or new staff just to be told “No way.” Or you ask for one thing and you get something totally different. Human Resources constantly have to make the best out of limited resources, and just like the song says “You can’t always get what you, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

1. Start Me Up

Just a classic song – from the opening guitar riff. This one relates to Human Resources because when you start it up, “it never stops” and we’ll “give it all we’ve got.” The employee relations issues never stop either. HR has been known to “make a grown man cry” too. Having to break difficult news; grown men have weeped. And if you use HR as a strategic partner; aligning with your planning and implementation initiatives…well HR can, “ride like the wind – at double speed – we’ll take you places that you’ve never ever been.”