What I wish you knew about being a Human Resources Manager
- Sep 5, 2017
- 3 min read
I have been in human resources (HR) for more than seven years and I am still amazed at the misconceptions around this vital function within the business world and organizations. Over the years I have laughed, shook my head, and groaned at some of the responses I get from others when I tell them what I do.
HR is all about hug and love
Some people think HR is all about hugging and loving employees which makes me cringe. HR is so much more than that, but compassion balanced with reality is important in HR. It is lending an ear to an employee in need. It is wearing my counseling hat when employees cannot get along. It is saying ‘thank you’ and reminding other managers to do the same.
HR fired my friend/spouse/etc.
Some people (or their friends/relatives) have had a negative experience with HR and believe going to HR means you are going to be fired or get in trouble. In my whole career HR has never fired anyone.
I must throw the BS flag (professionally, of course) when someone blames me when they are fired or receive a corrective action. Of course it was my fault that they were late to work four times and absent twice within their first two weeks of employment. Just like it was my fault that the repeated use of profanity and racial slurs results in termination.
My point is that someone’s actions/behaviors result in their own termination or corrective action. I don’t give corrective actions or approve terminations just because I can. Something caused it to happen. At times in rare and uncertain business environments layoffs or a reduction in force may be necessary. But again, in my role as an HR manager, I cannot solely impact the housing or stock market.
The power of people and HR in the organization
The heart of every organization is its people. What can set an organization apart from all others is how they attract, engage, reward, and harness the power and knowledge of their people. In these premiere organizations, the leadership team values HR input, and the impact that HR can make within the organization. HR is no longer an afterthought; it is a main focus in discussions when HR has a seat at the table.
My peers and HR leaders within my organization (and many others) have worked hard and diligently over many years to get this seat at the table by helping to develop our business leaders understanding of the impact of people. This is done with data, facts, influence, and perseverance. This buy in and support of the HR function from my leadership team members means that there is an expectation that I do so much more than “hug and love” or “hire and fire” people.
The intent of everything I do is to help my organization attract, engage, reward, and harness the amazing power, knowledge, and talents of the employees who make it a success.
This guest post is part of an ongoing series called, "What I wish you knew about ..." If you would like to read more on this topic, click on the posts below.
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