Speaking to all my fellow HR professionals and anyone who carries out HR duties.
Over the years, Human Resources has gone through a roller coaster of duties and functions. From the humble Personnel Department to Human Resources to People Operations, the HR function of a company has gone through a few different names, looks, and personalities. But the fundamental duties of HR never changed, all transactional with little true relational value. Why do you think everyone dreads HR? It is the responsibility of HR to do the hard transactional work, to be the “bad guy.” HR is the meanie, never letting the employees do what they want to do…reminds me of my kids pitching a fit when they were little.
But why can’t HR be viewed as someone who is on the employee side? Why can’t HR be liked? Why does HR always have to do uncomfortable work alone?
Truth is, as much as we want to transform into people-centric, HR has not gotten out of the transactional box. We have kept ourselves there. Treating people as something that needs to be done versus something connecting to someone.
HR has always been a behind the scenes department with in-the-scene impacts. The role of HR making those transactions can have a greater impact on the company. HR professionals need to and must be allowed to get out of the transactional box to have a greater and positive impact on the company.
A crucial shift beyond a name change is needed to truly rebrand and reposition HR to drive business transformations. HR has not equipped itself to contribute optimally, often neglecting skills development and confidence in its own ability to create value, resulting in a transactionally and operationally burdened function.
This is reflected in the viewpoint about HR. 73% of HR leaders and 76% of C-suite leaders believe that their HR team focuses primarily on processes, and 63% of C-suite leaders see HR’s role strictly as administrative. It’s also one of the reasons why we see in recent layoffs high with HR professionals and why many HR professionals lack pride in the contribution that the profession makes to the business.
HR must create a strategy. By having a well-defined strategy that provides value to the business, HR will be able to lean in and put itself forward.
Purpose: Why does HR exist as a function of your business? The purpose of HR will vary on the priorities and values specific to each company. Just like business planning, HR should define its purpose for 12 to 36 months ahead and be truly clear on it. It will help bring value, more engagement, and security to the company.
Identity: Who is HR and what does it want to be known for? Identities of HR solely lie within the focus of the company. If HR is responsible for culture, then your identity is culture focused.
Contribution: How will it contribute to overall success? If you believe that HR should be a behind the scenes company, it is time for you to reimagine HR. HR is a key driver to company success.
And for goodness sake, stop saying, “I’m in HR because I want to help people.” HR is there to drive business results, and by driving these results, it has the opportunity to help employees.
HR is so much more than paper pushing and compliance adherence. When the viewpoint of HR can get past the legacy of payroll, benefits administration, and legal compliance, and begin to see the development and strategy of employee policy, attracting strong talent, and optimizing employee relationships, will we then get HR out of the transactional box and truly become more human.
Marcie Richardson
With over 20 years of HR experience, Marcie understands the struggles companies face in compliance regulation and policy structure. She recognizes that effective company culture and policies start with how we treat employees. As the COO of Guarantee Restoration Services in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she values the need for a strong company culture to ensure operational continuity. Marcie obtained her IICRC in WRT and ASD because she believes to truly understand the needs of each employee, you need to understand their job. Marcie also holds a Louisiana Department of Insurance License in Health, Life & Accident.
marcie@guaranteerestoration.
www.guaranteerestoration.com
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