Can't Resist to Love HR

Episode 1 :)

I never knew about Human Resources unless I studied during my Masters, and I had no clue about the practical and real world scenarios of HR Management until I landed in the HR Profession. I can’t claim that it was my passion, but I definitely “turned my profession into my passion”. My profession not only gives me a chance to fulfill my optimum potential but also allows me to explore and enjoy my various passions. I know, people generally “love to hate HR” but I love my profession for many reasons.

Trust me, HR Professionals out there, you help others to find jobs and channelize their potentials, you support them to achieve their dreams, you facilitate and arrange the prospect to develop them personally and professionally, you provide them career counselling, you always stay motivated no matter what’s going on inside and outside, and try to motivate others as well by propagating positive energy. 

Let’s try to understand, “why people love to hate HR” due to justified or unjustified reasons. Human Resources is a highly integrated function, can’t perform and deliver the desired results in isolation. Robust coordination between HR and Line Management is inevitable to acquire, manage and engage human asset. Unfortunately, the majority of Leaders and Line Managers strongly believe that HR has a magical stick, which can solve all the problems without their active participation and ownership. I strongly believe that “WE” HR Professionals are process owners, facilitators and executers having a 360 degree relationship with the Line Management. And most of the key HR processes and activities overlaps between HR and Line Management. 

Manpower Planning or Human Resource planning is closely linked and aligned with the Strategic Planning Process. HR and Line Management closely work together to finalize the “Strategic Manpower Plan” to cater short term and long term talent requirements. HR publish the vacancies on various print and digital media platforms, shortlist the candidates for interview, let the line management decide the best out of many. So HR, being the process owner facilitate the line management to hire the best resource as per their requirements. Responsibility, lies on HR and Line Management in case of good or bad hiring. But, most of time only HR absorb the blame of bad hires, and are considered to be handicapped in bringing the right talent to the organization. On the other hand, job seekers and candidates also have a Pandora of grudges against the HR people, without realizing the role and limitation of HR in the recruitment and selection process. It’s trialed and tested, “People leave bosses, not the job or organization”, still HR feel the heat of high attrition. 

Millions of complaints against HR for “paying below the market standard” salaries and benefits. But, did you ever think, who decides the pay philosophy of the organization? Definitely, not the HR. Infact, HR gather the market data on the basis of surveys related to the salary and benefits and propose a comprehensive and competitive framework to the Top Executives. But, still many blame the HR for low salary and wages without knowing that someone else is steering the wheel. I have not met even a single HR Professional in my career, who advocates the concept of paying low salary and benefits. I always see the HR folks fighting for the market competitive pay-scales. Because, we “HR Professionals” know high morale and motivation are the keys to employee engagement, and engaged human asset is crucial for the organizational success. We “HR Professionals” strongly believe, “If, you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys”. Talent has its value, and value should be considered to attract, retain and engage. Talent acquisition is dependent on a stout employer brand. Employer brand is rely on competitive compensation plan, but a negative pay reputation and employee package will leak out to prospective candidates and will influence how the organization is perceived.

Performance appraisal process plays a crucial role to evaluate the performance, value the high performers, develop the low performers, and identify the grey areas, so on. HR’s prime responsibility is to design, craft and implement evaluation systems by considering the organizational culture, strategy, structure and people. HR initiates the process and relies on Line Management to use the tools and techniques to extract the best out of it. But, what happens in actual? The Majority of line managers don’t believe in process and don’t even say. Those who believe, don’t implement or don’t do it the right way. HR receive forms with incomplete, wrong or misleading information, resulting in false outcome. Remember, input decides the output. You put in rubbish, you get garbage. At the end of the day, no matter how rigorous or modern the process is, top executives, line management and employees, all blame HR that they fail to address the performance issues. Majority of line managers don’t even fill out the development needs of their team members, and then blame HR for not organizing or providing the necessary training programs. 

Same story replicates in all other processes of HR, Succession Planning and Management, Talent Development, Culture Management. Top Executives, Line Management and Employees don’t fulfill their responsibility and obligations but wait for HR to do the miracle. Again, HR can’t do wonders in isolation, but camaraderie and synergy between the Executives, Line Management, Employees and HR can definitely bring in the positive change.