dangletech

When I started in HR many years ago, a lot of companies still referred to the function as “Personnel”. The name did not have a good connotation. The function’s mandate back then was to act as a controller. In fact, it was often difficult to distinguish between HR and Finance at the time. Finance was perceived as the guardian of the company’s physical capital information and the place where spending and project budgeting requests went to die. HR was perceived as the place where hiring, promotions, and salary increase requests went to die.

HR was a power of sorts, for HR could and often did have the final say in terms of decisions affecting people’s careers. And all was secretive and information was closely guarded. HR was also often times identified as a “tool of management” with the sole goal of carrying out the corporation’s wishes. HR was disliked and distrusted. In fact a former CFO colleague of mine said that prior to my joining the team, he had always defined HR as standing for: “Human Remains”.

Well, memories and legends last a long time, and although much has changed in HR, from the professionals who lead and work in the function to the contributions that they make towards the success of their corporations, HR is still in many organizations, perceived as a function to be avoided at all costs.

This is unfortunate, for HR has a key role to play in both the short term and longer term success of any business.
Apart from the CEO, there is no other functional leader other than the head of HR who is focused on the emotional, professional, and material well-being and fulfillment of the entire organization.
And, a strategic HR leader who is focused on contributing to the success of the organization understands that the path to success is through the engagement, productivity, and talents of its people.

HR helps to define the culture of the organization. HR helps to set people related strategies. HR helps to develop the organizational structure and the roles and the skills that are required for the organization to be successful in its mission.
HR finds and attracts talented people to the organization. HR integrates these people and helps them grow their skills and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success. HR creates and administers programmes that recognize employee contributions and that free employees up to focus on helping the business to be successful by taking care of employee needs (benefits, employee services, retirement, education, fitness for example).

And HR is in constant contact with employees. HR is a place for employees to go with questions, for advice, for confidential coaching, and for support. HR is that trusted advisor to employees while still being able to align this key role with working to achieve business success. HR is able to do so because HR is a guardian and a catalyst; a guardian of the company’s core values that challenges when these are being breached and a catalyst in terms of advocating for changes to guidelines and programmes when these can help the organization to be even more successful in having employees engage, be productive, and willingly share their talents.

HR is not the place it was when I started there many years ago. And yes, there are some who will say that HR has not changed, based on their recent experiences.  It only takes a few ineffective HR leaders to negatively influence many people’s perceptions.
From my perspective though of having worked with and gotten to know HR leaders and HR teams across Canada, HR is definitely Friend, not Foe.

Drop in or set up time with your head of HR if you haven’t done so recently and get to know him or her. You’ll see what I"m talking about.

David