Why I Love HR

Last week I had the opportunity to head up to Detroit to speak at the local SHRM chapter. I had been on the road for almost two weeks, spent the weekend at my daughter's graduation, and by the time I arrived I was pretty tired.

The topic of my talk with "Building the Irresistible Organization," so of course I felt it was very important to get my energy level up and deliver a compelling presentation.

Well, much to my surprise, the entire room was packed. Most of the people arrived early and there was a festive cocktail hour, nice healthy dinner, and bright lighting to make the whole scene fun and energetic.

As most of you know, Detroit was ground zero of the last recession. Not only did most of the automakers lay off thousands of people, most of the surrounding businesses in Detroit laid off people too. So this group of HR people have seen the worst. They have laid people off, been laid off, and watched their companies shrink, restructure, and in some cases disappear.

And as most HR professionals know, we are often the first to go. Not only does HR bear much of the brunt of poor business performance, often HR pays the price directly. So these 150+ people came to this presentation after some of the most difficult years of their professional lives.

Which gets to my point. I have never been in a room with more hopeful, supportive, collaborative, and excited people. This group of HR professionals (many work for large companies, many work for small companies, and many work for themselves) were positive, chatting with each other, and anxious to hear what I had to say. In fact they were among the most interested and supportive audience I have ever seen.

And many of them looked at me skeptically. One in particular asked "When there just aren't any jobs and there are a lot of us looking for work, how can you tell business leaders they have to make their workplace more engaging and flexible?" It was a good question. I told her that every employer, regardless of their local economy, is starting to learn that their own business performance, innovation, and long term endurance is totally dependent on their ability to attract and engage people well. So even if there are a lot of unemployed in the area, I stated, companies in Detroit have to work just as hard to make their employees happy as anywhere else.

This group of hopeful, positive, excited people then really surprised me. Someone found out that the following day was my birthday. So after my talk the group took the time to bring out a big chocolate birthday cake and sing me happy birthday. I was so touched I teared up, to tell you the truth. This was the last thing I expected to see at a meeting like this.

So that's why I love HR. People who chose this profession are among the hardest working, most giving, and often creative people in business. Yes, some HR professionals still operate as bureaucrats and maybe they're not as business-oriented as we would like, but nearly every HR professional I have every met is willing to sacrifice themselves for their team, their company, and their profession. That's why we will always need them (whatever name we give the profession).

As I was coming back to the hotel I was surprised to see Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, celebrating in the lobby of the hotel. Little did I know that JPM Chase just invested $100 Million in Detroit, betting on the turnaround of Motor City. I'd say from my experience there, it's a pretty good bet. The people I met in Detroit were among the most positive, hopeful people I've met anywhere.

About the Author: Josh Bersin is the founder and Principal of Bersin by Deloitte, a leading research and advisory firm focused on corporate leadership, talent, learning, and the intersection between work and life. Josh is a published author on Forbes, a LinkedIn Influencer, and has appeared on Bloomberg, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal, and speaks at industry conferences and to corporate HR departments around the world. You can contact Josh on twitter at @josh_bersin and follow him at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/bersin .

Other Recent Articles by Josh Bersin:

• Are you an Overwhelmed Employee? What to do about it.
• It's Time to Redesign HR
  
• How to Build The Irresistible Organization
• Learning to Be Yourself
• The Myth of the Bell Curve
• What's Good for Women is Good for Business
• How to Make Work Fun
• Why we Do Need The HR Department
• Are Performance Appraisals Doomed?
• How I Hire: Trust Your Gut
• The MOOC Market Takes Off
• Employee Retention: The Time is Now
• The Datafication of HR