Some things are universal across workspaces and organisations – the universal dislike for the Human Resources Department(HRD). A big reason for this is that HR views employees as a liability that it needs to protect the company from. Though the HR department was set up to be a resource for the employees who work in an organisation, it has unfortunately gained a negative reputation as it seems to always project the management’s wishes.
However, the needs of HR departments have evolved and it has grown today to take care of compliance, training, DEI responsibilities, health and safety and even hybrid and remote work policies. It also has a greater say in compensation and benefits policies for employees. It is in fact gaining in importance considering the gap in the availability of skill sets and the need to retain existing employees.
In the book Redefining HR – Lara Schmidt discusses the contours of an ideal, progressive, human-centric HR department. We discuss the various aspects highlighted by the author in a podcast which you can hear, in full, here.
Changing HR reputation.
HR functions were once envisaged as a compliance function within the organisation. The focus was on ensuring that the costs were kept well under control and there was adequate manpower available to carry out the work required. The function was viewed purely from a transactional point of view ensuring that employees stay within the rules and regulations formulated by the company.
However, the current HR practice focuses more on being integrated with the goals of the organisation and being integrated throughout the business. They are called upon to bring value to the strategic operations and ensure that they balance the needs of the employees and the company.
There have been lots of changes in the field of HR, especially after the pandemic. One of the biggest shifts is the way companies are looking at the skills and the roles required. Multiple perspectives make this field much richer and be in a position to contribute proactively to the strategic goals of the company.
As HR begins to play an increasing role in determining what skills are required, the top leadership team needs to demonstrate its commitment to follow through on the recommendations of HR.
What is required a total transparency in all dealings related to HR and trust in the actions taken. HR also needs to ensure that the organisation delivers on the promises made and be honest and transparent when they cannot. this helps build trust and trust is the foundation for any long-term relationship.
Is it possible to have HR that employees don’t hate
By Kathleen Davis
FC 2023/05
R2G 