By Priscilla Kohl| HRTools.com Business Writer
In case you missed it, a controversial article rocked the HR world a few years ago. It reportedly ‘went viral’ to millions of people, primarily over the Internet.
The article titled, “Why We Hate HR,” can be found online at Fast Company and was written by Keith Hammonds. In this commentary, Hammonds explains why HR falls short in the eyes of some individuals.
As with any profession, you will find extremes. There are many really good, make-a-difference HR professionals and there are some who miss the mark.
In the final analysis, though, you will find that most HR professionals focus on earning and maintaining the respect, credibility and trust of those they serve. To help illustrate, it might also help to pose the following analogous questions:
- Would you choose a physician based on a lovability quotient, or because you respect his or her credentials, knowledge and expertise?
- Would you retain an attorney based on a need to love him or her, or because you respect the attorney’s reputation, knowledge and expertise?
Like most professionals, HR professionals believe that what they do is valuable and worthwhile, especially since what they do directly impacts an organization's bottom line. Many HR professionals even love their jobs, which is probably more to the point.
For example, Libby Sartain, a prominent HR professional and author, explains why she is passionate about HR in her book titled, “HR from the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business. According to Sartain, HR profession is a gift and a calling.
In fact, Sartain titled the first chapter of the book, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and in it she writes, as the chapter’s first sentence, “This is a book about love.”
Sartain has served the HR profession for more than 30 years, and she is the former Chief People Officer at Yahoo! and the former Vice President of People at Southwest Airlines.
Although HR professionals absolutely touch the lives of others, and it’s always nice to be loved—perhaps it’s more important that HR professionals love what they do; and strive to earn and maintain the respect and trust of those they serve.
After all, HR professional competencies affect the bottom line of a business, perhaps more so than any other organizational factor.
How? Basically by helping a business thrive through its employees.
More specifically, HR professionals work diligently to earn the respect and trust from those they serve through measurable performance competencies such as the following:
- Knowledge Management—attracting, recruiting and retaining highly skilled and talented workers
- Talent Management—training and developing employees so that businesses remain competitive
- Health Care Costs—addressing the skyrocketing costs associated with health care and benefits
- Public Relations—showing organizations how to lead in addressing societal issues such as quality-of-life and environmental concerns
- Social Responsibility and Ethics Management—anticipating and being prepared for the vast social, political and economic changes that affect the workplace
- Strategic Planning—helping to plan for and advance innovative problem solving and innovative solutions so that businesses can be successful
- Legislative and Regulatory Expertise—staying abreast of the ever-changing, complex and complicated federal, state and local laws and regulations that impact both for-profit and nonprofit organizations and businesses.
- Workforce Planning—leading organizations to understand and prepare for staff development trends, including the prospect for a “new normal” in light of this most recent economic crisis
- Risk Management—providing guidance and initiating programs to minimize and prevent risks associated with issues ranging from noncompliance to safety and health.
Or, as many employers discover sooner or later—and borrowing from two movie lines made famous in the film Jerry Maguire—HR completes you, and HR professionals can show you the money!
Related reading on HRTools.com
How to tell if your HR professionals are really good at communicating
Legal Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. This information is not a substitute for the guidance of a professional and should not be relied upon in reference to any specific situation without first seeking the advice of a qualified HR professional and/or legal counsel regarding applicable federal, state or local laws. HRTools, Insperity and their respective employees make no warranties, express or implied, and make no judgments regarding the accuracy of this content and/or its applicability to a specific situation. A reference or link to another website is not an endorsement of that site or service.