A different kind of HR

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

When people find out I'm a HR professional, they love to share their stories, mostly horror stories, of toxic work environments, terrible bosses, and dysfunctional or incompetent HR functions. I laugh along with them as they share funny anecdotes, empathise and encourage them if they find themselves in challenging circumstances, and provide insight and advice when invited to. All the while, I am thinking to myself 'it doesn't have to be this way'. 

Exhibit A

Recently a friend shared a story of a meeting that took place in her workplace. She works in an industry that is extremely pressured and complex. It is an industry that relies on its people to provide effective services to clients. The organisation and the industry are already struggling to attract and retain quality staff and yet the HR person at this organisation told the already struggling team, that if they had a problem - too bad - they could easily be replaced. 🥺🥺🥺

It doesn't have to be this way...

• Efficiency and effectiveness doesn't have to come at the cost of people (who are overworked and undervalued).
• Creating a healthy organisational culture isn't a warm and fuzzy thing that is nice to have. It is an essential component to creating sustainable effective and high-performing teams.
• HR does not have to be an either-or scenario, Team Management or Team Employee. HR can be both/and - A strategic partner for the organisation, to aid in the achievement of the organisation's goals and strategy, and influence and advocate for practices that will build a healthy culture and develop capabilities for individuals and teams to thrive. 

The 'old-skool' approach to HR is what gives the rest of us a bad wrap. An approach to HR that literally thinks about humans as resources and an HR function that operates as the organisational police, or worse, the organisational bully. 

But it doesn't have to be this way. And fortunately, there are growing numbers of HR professionals and organisations that recognise the value of HR as a strategic partner, that can help create cultures that people want to be a part of, and that can champion both people and an organisation's mission, vision and strategy.

Do you have a HR horror story or great HR experience?  Feel free to share it in the comments.