September 30th,
2008
There's all this talk about
what human resources can do for management, yet there's barely any talk
as to what it can do for your people.
Human resources is a field
that is still in constant turmoil as to what it does. Many see it as
a liability - a cost centre that generates no revenue directly. Others
see it as the glue that holds the organization together. Us here at
Blacktalon see HR as the fulcrum of the organization's existence, working
to build the human capital and put an equal amount of attention into
sufficiently satisfying the needs of staff as opposed to simply management.
As the world markets tremble
from mismanaged capitalism, it clearly shows what happens when management
gets too out of hand. This is where HR should have come in and said,
"whoa...hold on there buddy. You're going too fast out there. Let
me take the controls. I'll show you how to get where you're going."
HR is like the designated
driver of the organization - it provides an auxiliary and guided assistance
when the organization's leadership is too wrecked or intoxicated to
drive further. By not doing so, you're putting all the passengers -
being the staff - in danger.
HR needs to take a more
central stance if it is to be taken more seriously. It was mentioned
that in HR its image to management is everything. But with management
representing a small proportion of the entire organization, it makes
one wonder if anyone cares about HR's image in the eyes of staff. For
they are the ones who make the organization.
There is an unwritten rule
that the needs of management come first and foremost over everything
else. But what about the single mother of three who works 10-hour shifts
on a regular basis in Administration and doesn't get to take a single
holiday when she's entitled to? Or the student intern who wishes to
file a legitimate complaint against one of his supervisors?
Or the IT department who
state the organization requires greater technical resources in order
to maintain and grow its client base?
Everyone in the organization
has needs that need addressing, regardless of whether you sit in an
office all day or if you're on the floor. The issue is that management
shouldn't be the central focus of HR's efforts, but rather to establish
a rapport with the people within the organization and ensure that progress
occurs on all levels.
It's bad enough if HR is
seen as a liability by management, but what about its image in the eyes
of the people? When you lose that confidence, then you've pretty much
lost everything.
Human resources is an entity
which bridges the gap between management and staff, and opens the communication
lines between the two parties in order to establish a mutual bond to
progress into the future.
When it's seen in a positive
light by both parties, then HR will be more effective in portraying
a professional image that acts a genuine asset rather than the perceived
liability that it is.
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