HR Called. Here’s How Most People Blow It.

If HR just “wants to talk,” it’s not random—and it’s rarely harmless. In toxic workplaces, these meetings are often the beginning of the end.

But here’s what no one tells you: it’s not just what happens in the meeting that matters. It’s how you show up—and the missteps you don’t even realize you’re making.

Let’s break down the 3 most common mistakes people make when HR reaches out—and why they’re so costly.

Mistake #1: Telling Your Story the Wrong Way

You’ve been harassed. Undermined. Maybe even humiliated.

So you do what anyone would—you try to explain. You talk about how awful it’s been, how it’s made you feel, how it’s affecting you.

But here’s the brutal truth: HR doesn’t deal in feelings. They deal in policy violations, risk management, and corporate liability.

If you are not framing your story in a way that speaks their language—specific, professional, pattern-based facts—your “truth” will be dismissed, or worse, used against you. 

Mistake #2: Thinking HR Is There to Help

They might smile. Nod. Offer you water. But that does not mean they’re on your side.

HR’s loyalty is to the company. Period. And in hostile or bully-driven environments, they’re often the ones gathering intel—not solving problems.

Believing they are going to fix things is a setup. And too many employees learn that the hard way—after their concerns are ignored, their reputation is questioned, and their job is quietly put on the chopping block. 

Mistake #3: Walking In Without a Plan

The meeting invite comes through and you show up empty-handed. No prep, no notes, no idea what’s really going on. You figure, “I’ll just see what they say.”

But in a high-stakes environment, that’s the equivalent of walking into a courtroom with no case—and no defense.

You would not do that if your life were on the line. So why do it when your livelihood is? 

The Hard Truth

You might think you’re just having a conversation. But if the workplace is toxic, they’re already writing the script—and you’re the one being written out.

Every word you say, every detail you give, every emotion you show—it all becomes part of your file. Part of the narrative. Part of the paper trail.

You need to be ready. 

📘 Want to know how to protect yourself—for real?

That’s why I wrote the Hostile Workplace Survival Guide.

Because I’ve lived it. I’ve been blindsided in those meetings. I’ve made the same mistakes. And I’ve learned how to show up prepared, sharp, and strategic.

So you don’t get played.

👉 Grab your copy here
And walk into that next HR meeting with your power intact.