I recenlty read a post by Naomi Bloom called " Is HR really a pink-collared ghetto?"(http://infullbloom.us/?p=1471) . Quite a raunchy title but a topic that needs attention and discusison. I’ve had the opportunity of looking at Human Resources from the lens of both a practitioner and a consultant. And every second day, I ponder how much we really are to blame for how the profession is perceived. With technology and outsourcing, the profession has, is and will continue to undergo major changes. Instead of spending time and energy on countering the use of both in organizations, HR professionals have to embrace business and become relevant to business. If HR is perceived as a paper-pusher, what are we doing to rise above that perception?
Our profession needs an overhaul. We need to embrace new skills, become business oriented and find a relevant role for ourselves if our existing role is being eliminated. Education, certification, networking (albeit the right kind), participation in discussions etc. are some avenues for development at an individual level. To all the HR leaders though, my appeal is to have an open conversation with your HR employees and make designing initiatives to keep them relevant in the days to come a strategic priority.
We can manage our entire life on the go today. However, while it comes to doing some of most critical and transactional work activities like logging time, submitting or approving a leave application or completing performance evaluations, most of us are constrained to resort to laptops/desktops. For a long time, I have wondered why ERP firms have chosen to ignore this obvious need. An article in HRO today, however, talks about a few firms like SAP/Oracle and WorkDay that are taking steps in that direction.
Much literature exists and many thinking gurus have long spoken/written about the need and ways to eliminate/simplify transactional activities. Self-Service, Shared Services, Automation, Outsourcing etc. have been used to address this need.
The ultimate nirvana for simplification and accessibility will be the day when we have an 'App for all HR needs'. I can hear some shopfloor workers without access to computers cheering in anticipation as well!
Original article can be accessed here:
http://www.hrotoday.com/content/4826/handheld-hr
Tired of hearing the daily grind on politics-local, national and international? One of the political arenas we often forget about is the workplace. A congregation of people with different agendas involved in a common activity or working towards a common goal is the birth place of politics. The best performer does not always get the best jobs or best projects and sometimes the best ones find it difficult to understand why. Navigating politics at the workplace is a skill which cannot be learnt at schools. It comes from experience- that of life and of the workplace. But how do you identify and navigate the politics? Being alert of your surroundings is the foremost mantra. Look, hear and feel what’s happening in your team or department. Be alert of your colleagues, managers and team members. Everyone sends out signals which, if interpreted correctly can give insights into the underlying politics. These situations exist at every workplace and knowing how to navigate through these is no more an optional skill- it’s necessary!
'Industry Practices', 'Best Practices', 'Leading Practices'; call them by any name but they are a decision-makers fondest set of words. Benchmarking with the best is a common practice in any function or at any level of decision-making. But what happens if the 'best-in-class' practice backfires? What if the 'leading practice' is on the verge of becoming obsolete? While learning from others' experiences is not a bad idea, firms need to understand how a best practice applies to them before taking a decision to emulate it. Beyond the demographics of each firm is an underlying culture; culture which can and does deeply impact the success of any initiative. What may be relevant in one culture, may completely fail in another culture.
So, before you embark on a benchmarking exercise, remember to evaluate the final recommendations in light of the culture of your firm- how will your leaders and employees respond? How difficult would it be to implement the recommendations? And more importantly, will the best practice lead to the desired result? Its a safe way to avoid a culture shock!
...because I like working with people. Haven't we heard or said that before? The reality of today's human resources practice is that many times it may not involve working 'with' people at all (except your bosses and very few co-workers) Why is this?
Workforce has undergone a dramatic change- they are global, virtual and in some cases on the 40th floor while you might be on the 2nd floor or in a different part of the city. The days of in-person meetings being the only method of communication are history. Teleconferences, videoconferences, go-to-meetings are the order of the day.This change is forcing HR to look at new ways of 'working with' people in a workplace.
Its time for new age work practices and a new reason for why we love this profession!
