Human Resources: Better Press
August 4th, 2005Greetings
Thought you might be interested in the two articles below… both of which are yet another call to action for Human Resources.
Of greatest concern in my mind is that many of us–whether we are in-house or HR consultants are focused on the very issues and initiatives outlined by the writers.
Yet, the “press” remains the same.
So, maybe the problem lies not in what we do…
Could the message be that HR needs to do a better job of self-marketing? What more critical element of “business strategy” is there than the people who execute the strategy?
Enough said…
Let me know what you think of the articles:
http://www.fastcompany.com/subscr/97/open_hr.html
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&id=1253
Be well,
I had just read the Fast Company article last week. Almost seems as though H.R., having succeeded in becoming much more strategic and front and center in many environments, is ready for its “close up”. Time to really look at ourselves and make sure we are making maximum impact, educated within our domain, culturally sensitive, fully aware of and aligned with the plans for the future. Sometimes, though, we do find ourselves caught between financial and/or legal bottom lines, the enforcement of which will never make us very popular. Makes you wonder why we don’t cultivate a few more internal partners on that front.
This is getting very tiresome! The Fast Company author started out with a position, then found what he was looking for to reinforce it. I’m not saying HR has done a perfect job of being a strategic partner, but my colleagues are more than just “NO!” people. It’s easy to walk into an organization where you’re expected to be part of the game, e.g., finance. It takes a longer time to change the thinking around you. But it can be done, and is!
While there are a number of valid points made in this piece, to me, they are “lost” against a backdrop of animosity that comes through in nearly every sentence.
I am not sure what HR ever did to the writer, but clearly he carries scars that are still with him.
Among many things that he has said so unfairly, the one that tops my list is that he totally ignores the relationship between what the organization’s leadership (i.e. CEO) really believes and acts on versus what the organization’s leadership says.
There is a reason that GE and others have the reputations they do in terms of HR’s role in the company, and that has to do with the degree to which the CEO is committed to making the right investments in human capital.