In our years in business, the biggest challenge we’ve faced is messaging what we do – against the “common” perception that most people have of human resources. For far too long, human resources professionals have shied away from tackling the issues they should be, preferring to lock themselves (and their employers) into mythical “compliance” boxes that keep them from innovation. Yes, innovation in providing true human resources in their organizations – lackluster HR equals lackluster business results.
You see, human resources is about compliance, you know, all that labor & employment regulatory stuff you’re supposed to know, but if you’re one of the many that only view HR as compliance, you are so missing the boat, as are all the
traditional HR practitioners out there.
Culture, strategy, results – all of those things can and should be driven by human resources. Honest to goodness, seat at the table, accountable for results, finding creative ways to navigate through the regulatory red tape to ensure the best and legal business results, that’s effective human resources.
And yet, HR is still viewed as (in the words of an acquaintance) a “pink” industry, relegated to the ranks of girls? Really?
Ok, we’re game, but let’s talk about what it is that traditionalists in the HR field and short-sighted business owners should stop doing.
1. Stop seeing Human Resources as the “employee relations” department
Stop being an event planner and start being a valuable business unit. It kills us to hear business owners only talk about innovation when it comes to their technology or intellectual property. Look at those two line items on your general ledger – then look at the combined line items of payroll and employee costs – where do you think you should be focusing your innovative efforts?
2. Stop being a hall monitor and start innovating your company
Stop hiding behind compliance as an excuse for what can’t be done. Nobody in business today cares about what they can’t do, they’re only interested in what they can, and it’s your job to get it done – legally of course, but with serious independent thought and a complete regard for your business objectives, culture, and your differentiators – that’s how you drive business success. Human Resources should be the driver of innovative initiatives to keep that culture lamplight burning, those burning the brightest will win; it’s a fact of life.
3. Thinking that culture is something you grow in a petri dish
It’s up to you to develop, nurture, live and breathe cultural life into your organization. Stop pretending that culture is all that “touchy feely” stuff. Take the operational vision and mission of your company and translate it
into something so meaningful to your employees that they are not only able to embrace it, but are able to live it every day. Think of the five companies that you admire and respect the most – we’ll put our last dollar on the fact that the reason they’ve achieved success is because they’ve figured out who the hell they are, then told their employees. It just ain’t that deep – figure it out, it’s your responsibility and your business and company results depend upon it.
4. Using the “Butts In Seats” hiring mentality
Stop hiring to achieve “butts in seats” and start using the culture, strategy and fit we describe in c) as your benchmark for hiring success. Guess what, when you do the revolving door slows down and your workforce becomes productive, cohesive, and business-goal oriented. Do you have any idea how much that revolving door costs you? No really, think about it,
how much does that actually cost you in tangible or (worse) intangible ways?
Your role as an HR practitioner (or business
owner) is to develop and inspire the people on your team. Educate, educate, educate, that’s the role of true HR. Nobody comes into this world with innate leadership skills. If you’re not going to exhibit leadership strengths yourself, then how do you suppose you’re going to teach your best (and most expensive) assets how to lead your organization to the best possible end result. If you know you don’t have the leadership edge, get help. In this day and age you have to exhibit thought leadership to achieve success – how’s your thought leadership?
Got you thinking? Hope so. We have to challenge the role of traditional HR and fine-tune it for business today. Look where traditional HR practices have led our large, failing corporate entities in this country. Traditional, non-innovative HR has done as much to bury businesses as bloated, corporate greed. Just imagine if those corporations had invested their innovative efforts and dollars in their great employees instead of the newest, bright shiny toys?
That’s the world hr-haven is striving for, how about you?