HR is stuck!
I recently revisited the 2005 article “Why we hate HR” by Keith H. Hammonds (reference) in which he suggested the following problems exist in the profession:
?·????????The lack of HR personnel being neither strategic partners or leaders
·????????Most HR managers are not interested in or prepared for doing business
·????????Is a necessary evil.?And at worst, a dark bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change
·????????Supports the use of idiotic performance appraisals
·????????Forfeits long-term value for short-term cost efficiency
·????????Pursues standardization and uniformity in the face of a workforce that is heterogeneous and complex.
?He quotes one source that says HR’s urge for one-size-fits-all solutions “is partly about compliance, but mostly because it’s just easier (for HR).”
?To be fair, he argues “HR should be joined to business strategy at the hip. It’s about how do you get the best and brightest people and raise the value of the firm.?It’s about how effective HR is at adding value”.
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?Equally he acknowledged that in the last two generations, government has created an immense thicket of labour regulations. Equal Employment Opportunity; Fair Labour Standards; Occupational Safety and Health; Family and Medical Leave; and the ever-popular ERISA (superannuation). ??As he stated, “These are complex, serious issues requiring technical expertise, and HR has to apply reasonable caution”.
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Hammond’s conclusion back in 2005 was that HR is stuck in a mindset of risk mitigation and using one-size-fits-all policies and processes in ways that are not value adding or adding a competitive advantage to the business.
?I’d argue not much has changed in 17 years and the challenge of how effective HR is at adding value (and demonstrating it is adding value) remains.
?While HR software is helping streamline many administrative processes, if we want HR to really add value, in my view more effort needs to go into addressing the dark bureaucratic forces, the nonsensical rules, resistance to creativity and constructive change, the use of idiotic performance appraisals, standardization, uniformity policies and processes, and the quest for short term cost efficiencies.
?We need contemporary upstream-thinking to redesign our HR processes so they are flexible and meet our heterogeneous and complex workforces while maintaining governance, quality control and risk management.?
?My recommended response is to ensure our HR processes are as simple to use as internet banking.?Such processes must also deliver real time identification of risks and trends for executive managers while providing HR practitioners with ‘big data’ for more detailed analysis.
?As such solutions are currently available, the only question for any HR practitioner is “are you happy to remain stuck for another 17 years?”
?If not, contact me for further insights.?
Helping leaders to build the one team culture they need to thrive in turbulent times. Author, Psychologist, Facilitator & Coach.
1 年Mark Shaw Mark, I think this is a bit harsh. My observation is when HR (or whatever it is called in various enterprises) reports to, or is valued as a strategic shaper by the CE then there is usually a balance of effective HR services and proactive leadership of people and culture. However, when they’re relegated to a ‘vendor’ then businesses get what you’ve highlighted, and arguably what the business deserves. Accordingly I think it’s time to look upstream if there are outdated HR practices (and / or lack of investment in data analytics) and suggest it’s a symptom of poor strategic leadership not something to blame on people who are often disempowered and therefore an easy target for discontent. Always good to see your challenging views! Cheers, Graham
Director & Facilitator | We empower leaders & teams to achieve extraordinary results.
1 年Thankyou, as always, for sharing your insights Mark Shaw and a willingness to challenge existing norms.