So what needs to be done to get Human Resources back on track? Some say not talk about it. How absurd is that when everywhere you look it is a topic of discussion at work, in journals, networking sites and the list goes on.
A couple of months ago I was listening to a Blog Talk Radio Show and actually heard the CIO of a major Human Resources Organization say, “The only people who talk about HR being dead are HR professionals and if we stop talking about it, it won’t be a problem (not sure it was the intelligent thing to say but this person did). Sweeping the issue under the rug or just putting a band-aid on something for today and not solving the issues for the long term is not a wise choice in my opinion.
Companies have downsized HR areas in a big way with the recession and have learned to work without many of the compartmentalized functions they once believed were imperative. They have either consolidated the function into another role or outsourced. If something is not done soon those jobs aren’t coming back!
The time has come to start speaking out about it if you are an industry professional. In the words of many a father , ”grow a pair” rather than sitting quietly by afraid that if you say something that is not in line with your manager’s beliefs or is politically incorrect it may cost you your job. Many movements and great causes came about because people refused to sit idly by when their beliefs were being shattered by a bunch of pompous self proclaimed asses that thought it was their way or no way.
If you are an HR professional and are lucky enough to still be employed, do you speak up when something is being said or done that you don’t believe is correct or do you swallow that sugar pill every morning and look the other way?
Human Resources is important and can again be vital but not in its current state of being.
So what are some of the solutions you believe will get HR back to being the productive respected department it once was? We want to hear from you!
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What to do to get us back on track.... you are asking the tough questions after a tough day.
ReplyDeleteI work in light industrial, and in many cases, I've had to teach managers, GM's, staff, owners what exactly it is that I am trying to accomplish. It isn't about a seat at the table in those companies. Many times, I've taken on this role because corporate said they needed an HR Pro, or the owner's attorney told them to hire someone like me.
So there's a huge learning curve. I am strategic, I know P & L, and I have all pre-requisites for that "seat at the table" - cough, sputter. But really, that's not what its about. Its about finding innovative ways to teach these folks that compliance isn't just about avoiding fines, its the ideas behind it - the part about doing the right thing.
I've worked with companies that understood the partner piece in the "HR Business Partner" title. And even those companies had managers that just didn't get it, but since they were operationally efficient, they were good to go.
So getting the profession back on track has a lot to do with getting our global principles back on track. More people who are willing to do the right thing, naturally. I see a lot of it in the "Gen Y" group, and as my Gen X peers get a little older, I'm seeing more of it in us as well. Not doing "HR by the book", but doing "HR upholding the principles of the company".
Some of my peers will say they've been doing this all along. I say we probably should be looking at the principles then. I know there's a few corporations on my resume that were mostly talk in that regard.
Tammy, thanks for your comments. I agree that it is frustrating when hiring managers just don't get it and there is a learning curve. However that just didn't happen overnight. I have found in talking with many of these managers that most times there was a period of time that they felt they just didn't get the support they needed from HR. Now, whether that is their fault or HR's fault or just the fault of the company for not better educating both parties as to what is expected of them is something that most likely needs to be addressed in many companies. That is a step that should be explored to get HR and the rest of the areas within a company on the same page and back on track. You will never get every manager or employee to buy into a concept or idea but it is a start!
ReplyDeletePaul, I agree. Most of the positions I have held have either been the 1st HR in the company, or following a ineffective or absent HR at a company. I usually spend the first 6 months building the trust.
ReplyDeleteI think many times operators want to "get'er done" and when we introduce good HR practice, they immediately see them only as time stealers. In over 15 years, when an operator balks at an industry accepted HR practice, its been, in about 90% of the cases, because they had no intention of "doing the right thing".
My experience is the exception I'm sure, but as I said, I have spent most of my career building or rebuilding HR functions.