This week, a leaked video from Stellenbosch Municipality surfaced, showing an HR manager allegedly advocating for hiring practices designed to make specific employees “uncomfortable enough to resign.” The fallout has been swift and polarised. But beneath the outrage lies a deeper systems failure - one that affects all staff, regardless of demographic.
Leadership failure is the real scandal
For a policy like this to be voiced - let alone implemented - requires more than one rogue HR manager. It signals a breakdown in leadership oversight, ethical governance, and internal accountability. When discomfort becomes a sanctioned strategy, it’s not just HR that’s broken. It’s the entire leadership culture.
Leaders set the tone. If they tolerate weaponised onboarding, they erode trust across every department. And when they fail to defend dignity, they lose the moral authority to lead.
What ethical HR looks like
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Transparent criteria: Hiring logic should be legible, defensible, and version-aware. If your onboarding script can’t be audited, it’s not ethical.
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Legacy-aware onboarding: Every hire is a legacy move. It shapes culture, signals values, and sets precedent. Treat it like a ritual, not a loophole.
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Dignity for all demographics: True inclusion means no one feels like a placeholder. Equity must empower, not erode.
A better welcome mat
If your HR strategy relies on discomfort to drive change, you’re not building a better workplace - you’re just shifting the trauma. Let’s do better. Let’s build systems that honour competence, defend dignity, and onboard with legacy in mind.
Because when HR gets it right, everyone feels invited.
