Though I hate having to use real people when doing missions and tend to rely on hench a lot more... people do have their uses. For example I was never able to complete Thirsty River or Dragon's Lair with hench, but was able to with people. Simple fact being when people actually follow orders... its amazing what you can do with them.
Hench however are my all time fav grouping buddies. I don't have to spam "LFG experienced people to group with" when in towns... nah the hench just come along with me. I can map around, drop from the group and they don't complain. Using hench and pulling can be hard, so what I try and do is get one in my circle, then pull back as they charge in... sometimes I'm lucky and sometimes not. But for power leveling, nothing like lv20 hench to help you get around when your less then lv20. Hench need the following functions though to be totally awsome
#1: Run Away (basicly as implied... run away if being mass attacked and the rest of us are dead... come back when its clear and res us)
#2: Stay (as implied... click on them and they will remain still while you go pull or what not)
#3: Be Generious (Basicly hench will take less gold from drops and maybe give you all those keys and dyes you know they are hording.)
#4 Follow the Leader (in single file right behind you then will run and exactly in your path so as to not run in a group behind you all spread out and aggro mobs)
The good thing about henchmen is that they will stay with you and do what you tell them to. Unlike some NPCs. If you call a target they will attack it. They won't go running off down the stairs on Thunderhead and get slaughtered. Me and 2 friends have done all the missions with henches.