FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
July 28, 2005
Why We Love Talking About HR
Keith Hammonds' story Why We Hate HR continues to catalyze some qualitty conversation.
Knowledge@Wharton joins the fray with a piece entitled Is Your HR Friend or Foe?. Suggesting that it depends on who's asking the question -- as I think we've seen in discussion here -- the article goes on to highlight some interesting challenges and opportunities.
Among them: "Trends in HR usually require about a decade to take hold." While that's a slow pick-up rate, perhaps we're closer to HR being a strategic business partner than we think! That gives me hope.
Posted by Heath Row at July 28, 2005 2:50 PM | Category: human resources |
3 Comments
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One reason that HR gets so much flak is that unlike other groups it operates on two paradoxical levels...one , which is common to other functions, being strategic and also transactional...two, and this is why HR is unique, it needs to balance processes and people interest...and it is this inability to acknowledge that this paradox applies that gives rise to some of the issues about HR...for more on this read HR Champions by Dave Ulrich
regards
Gautam
“What took us to the ‘last dance’ may not take us to the next” is the mantra of all too few progressive HR teams that get that the game is no longer about rituals and record-keeping and ruling, but about engaging associates to shape a culture that fuels business growth. Period.
It’s not about paper. It’s not about process. And, for those people practitioners among us who have adopted the already dated corporate HR vernacular – it’s not even all about talent grids, succession planning and performance management – or anything else, for that matter, that is tracked, tabbed or tabulated.
If a HR team is not completely engaged in engaging, they’re missing the point. If they have not begun to view themselves as the Internal Marketing department and immersed themselves in the work of driving the brand home with associates, they’re not only missing the point but the potential.
The work is smart. It’s about finding and engaging talent. It’s about keeping promises. Internal marketing. In-vertising. Internal branding. Call it what you will. At the end of the day, the internal pack has to be able to play the brand by heart. Period.
Perhaps the hate of HR will dissipate when the world of HR begins to mind its business and not that of the clients it supports.
I agree with agencything - it's all about internal marketing and engaging employees. In my workshops I encourage managers to be proactive internal marketers, at best WITH the HR folks, or despite them. If the latter, it's not always HR's fault. I just drafted a blog post on this very subject (entitled "HR Takes a Hit"), scheduled for August 11th, & invite you to check it out(www.qualityservicemarketing.blogs.com).