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Is Human Resources Fatally Flawed?
How can we fix the damage?
Featured Author:
Lance Haun
Lance Haun is a Human Resources Generalist practicing in the field for the past five years. His professional interests include recruitment, team building, training and development, employee relations and restraining himself from beating the crap out of bad managers and employees. He is a proud product of the Washington State University School of Business. In his spare time, he likes to recreate outdoors in the beautiful Northwest US with his flawless wife and tell stories about his co-workers with friends over a beer after work.Visit his blog!
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September 03, 2009
Don’t think about it. Just answer me quickly: Is HR fatally flawed?
How many of you answered yes? When I first started writing this in April, I said yes too. Yes, this has been on my mind since April, sitting in my draft folder waiting for me to answer the question. And I can tell you, if I waited until I had a perfect answer, you may never have seen a post. In that time frame, I’ve gone back and forth but I finally come to the conclusion that HR isn’t fatally flawed but it does need some work. Is The Tide Turning Against HR?
When I wrote this question back in April, I knew my answer but was afraid to post it. So I thought about it over and over again for almost five months. Here’s why I thought HR was through:
1. Most of HR’s value could be outsourced – Heck, it already was in many cases. Everything from talent recruitment and selection to heavy lifting in critical employee relations and benefits matters were being taken care of (or very heavily influenced) by outside agencies and consultants.2. Unclear goals and ROI – If you are a small to medium sized company, you can’t afford to have an entire department sucking funds from your other profitable departments. At some point, HR will become a luxury department for large Fortune 500 companies (the same one’s that can afford to run advertisements simply to raise “brand awareness”).
3. No input on business direction – You don’t get a seat at the table without having business savvy. You want to know why C-level titles or so inconsistent for HR? A true lack of business courage outside of the talent world. If you have nothing to add about marketing messages, sales forecasts, or budgeting issues, you’re of no use at the table. Let’s just put that to bed.
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Is There Hope for a Better Future? |
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2 months ago
I think part of the problem is the Generalist function of HR. Generalists are asked to know a little about everything while maintaining at least one specialty such as recruiting or benefits. This seems more so in small company's especially with single person HR 'depts.' But is outsourcing really the answer? I still say you need that intangible soft skill with people. When an employee has an critical issue and needs someone she can trust to get her benefits or FMLA issue ironed out. But then I'm seeing it from the inside. I like SailorJim's take on recruiting. I agree that recruiters work differently than other HR folk. But I'm not convinced that recruiting should fall outside of HR. How will compensation be maintained if recruiters and comp analysts aren't working together? What if the applicant is disabled, then HR needs to step in. If an applicant lies and it is uncovered by a recruiter then HR needs to assist as it does now. But I like this discussion. It would be useful to hear what SMEs at SHRM and World At Work think.
SailorJim
2 months ago
4 comments
I agree with much of what is here. As a consultant I've worked with few HR Execs who "got it" and really understood business issues.
HR departments often benchmark themselves using metrics that have little relation to how the rest of the business benchmarks itself. The result is, whether you realize it or not, is the business doesn't take you seriously.
I would also advocate moving the recruiting function out of HR. Recruiters and HR people have vastly different drives and world views. I've never met an HR person who was a good recruiter and I've never met a recruiter who did more than tolerate HR people.
Find an internal recruiting expert and allow them to build a first class recruiting department outside the shadow of HR. It should be it's own vertical within the organization, without even a dotted line to the HR function. The result will be better recruiters, better relationships with the business units and a significantly better ROI for each recruiting dollar spent. Results oritented recruiters will also fix the god-awful applicant tracking and online applicaiton systems that administrative-minded HR people are so in love with.