"HR: From Support Function to Life Support of Organizations"

It's an exciting time of the year when we step into the season of appraisals and performance management. This is the moment we've all been eagerly anticipating for the last 364 days.

It's a moment where a top performer might think, "What if I don't get the top rating?" and a bottom performer might wonder if their line manager could be "a bit more considerate" and assign an average rating. Meanwhile, a mediocre performer is contemplating the best ways to convince the boss about why they should be treated as any other top performer, emotions running high.

Appraisal time is indeed a season when we, as employees, expect both the expected and the unexpected. It feels akin to a classroom student awaiting appraisal from the teacher for a year-long performance.

Amidst the chaos, we have the architects of the process, the so-called "support function" known as Human Resources (HR). They own and run the performance management process while, at the same time, carrying certain personal expectations, often unspoken.

But is HR merely a support function, or is it more like a life support function for an organization?

The HR department and HR professionals are known by various new titles today, such as People & Culture Leads, Business Partners, and Change Champions. None of these words - People, Culture, Change, or Partners - denote "support." Instead, they represent "life support" systems for any organization. Organizations cannot evolve or even deliver without...

• People: "Take away everything that belongs to us - assets, buildings, machines - but leave our people, and we promise we will build a better company." These were the words of a very senior leader (founder) of one of the biggest FMCG companies, operating for over 180 years, a company that journeyed from "good to great."
• Culture: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast every day."
• Change: "Change is the only constant."
• Partners: "Partners are strategic; they think about long-term excellence with a high discipline operational mindset."

People, culture, change, and partners are integral and life support elements of any organization. Does the human resources leader or function address any of the above?

There's often a debate regarding the direct contributions of the HR team versus front-line functions. However, we should remember that "Can I sell without hiring and training?" ... "Can I contribute meaningfully and remain motivated without strong leadership developed to lead me?" ... "Can I build the next-level organization without large-scale change interventions like setting up the right organizational design or culture?"

The question to ask is, "Who will partner with the line leader to make all of this happen and be the 'conscious keeper' of the organization to 'do the right thing' and always strive to ensure that the life support within the organization is human?"

In the end, human resources is "human" first and "resource" later. We expect, like any normal employee, but we strive to "keep employee interest ahead of personal interest" and keep our teams motivated despite personal aspirations and expectations. HR professionals will continue to find their motivation from within, seeking inspiration and selflessly serving the organization's human side.

Has HR truly entered the boardroom and is it genuinely treated at par with sales at the end of the year, whether it's good or bad? Is it truly a life support function? These are the questions we need to answer.