Critical human resource development is an academic field and research approach within Human Resource Development (HRD) that critically interrogates the underpinning assumptions, dominant practices, and socio-political implications of HRD theories and interventions. It investigates how HRD contributes to or challenges power structures, inequalities, and prevailing ideologies within organisations and broader society. Characterised by its focus on issues of ethics, social justice, emancipation, and the critique of instrumental rationality, critical HRD seeks to expose hidden agendas, question taken-for-granted norms, and explore alternative possibilities for fostering human learning and development in work contexts. Its significance lies in offering a vital counter-perspective to mainstream HRD discourse, promoting deeper ethical reflection, and advocating for more equitable and contextually aware approaches to developing human potential.