MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HR FUNCTION

MARTIN L. NOBIS, JR

FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

•MANPOWER PLANNING

•JOB ANALYSIS AND JOB DESCRIPTION

•RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

•DETERMINING WAGES AND SALARIES

•PERFORMANCE APPRASIAL

•TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

•EMPLOYEE WELFARE AND MOTIVATION

•ADDRESSING EMPLOYEES GRIEVANCES

•LABOUR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS

•IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES

•DISMISSAL AND REDUNDANCY

HR – NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART•HUMAN RESOURCES IS A COMPLEX, MULTIFACETED FIELD

THAT REQUIRES PROFESSIONALS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUGGLE PRIORITIES AND EXCEL AT A NUMBER OF TASKS—FROM THE SOMETIMES TEDIOUS TO THE OFTEN STRATEGIC.  IT TAKES KNOWING WHAT TO HONE IN ON AND WHAT TO DELEGATE, STAYING ON TOP OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN COMPENSATION AND ALWAYS HAVING A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS.  AND, OFTEN, WITH SO MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HR, IT INVOLVES STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE THROUGH CONTINUOUS EDUCATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE WHAT THE ROLE WILL ENTAIL FOR THE COMPANY.  

HR AS A COST CENTER• THE VIEW OF HR AS A COST CENTER MAY BE ONE OF THE HARDEST TO OVERCOME.  HOW EXECUTIVES VIEW THE HR DEPARTMENT AND ITS ROLE OFTEN PLAYS A HUGE PART IN ITS PERCEPTION AND FUNCTION, INCLUDING WHETHER THE JOB IS MANAGED IN-HOUSE TO BEGIN WITH.  FREQUENTLY HR MUST TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE ITS OWN PROPONENT IN PROVIDING GREATER EDUCATION ON THE VALUE OF ITS OFFERINGS.

OTHER COMPANIES REALIZE THAT HR MANAGERS CONTRIBUTE MORE DIRECTLY IN TAKING CARE OF THEIR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS, HANDLING A RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING: RECRUITING; INTERVIEWING; PROVIDING, PRESENTING, AND DELIVERING MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, LIFE, AND OTHER ANCILLARY BENEFITS; JOB TRAINING; INSTITUTING PROGRAMS FOR RETENTION AND GROWTH OF EMPLOYEES; ESTABLISHING TOOLS AND GUIDANCE FOR MANAGEMENT REVIEWS; AND REVIEWING AND SELECTING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT HR FUNCTIONS, TO NAME A FEW.  EACH OF THESE, IN FACT, CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE BOTTOM LINE WHEN ALL HARD AND SOFT COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS ARE CONSIDERED.

HR’S ROLE: STRATEGIC AND/OR TACTICAL•WHETHER DICTATED BY MANAGEMENT, ASSUMED BY THE

PRACTITIONER, A FUNCTION OF “FIGHTING FIRES” ON A DAILY BASIS, OR A COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE, HR’S ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION IS ALL TOO OFTEN TACTICAL OVER STRATEGIC, OFTEN TO THE DISSATISFACTION OF PRACTITIONERS THEMSELVES.  THIS POINT IS ILLUSTRATED BY USC PROFESSOR EDWARD E. LAWLER III, WHO NOTED THAT HR PROFESSIONALS REPORTED SPENDING ONLY 23% OF THEIR TIME IN 2005 “BEING A STRATEGIC BUSINESS PARTNER” – NO MORE THAN THEY REPORTED IN 1995. AND LINE MANAGERS, HE FOUND, SAID HR IS FAR LESS INVOLVED IN STRATEGY THAN HR THINKS IT IS.

EMPLOYEE CAPABILITIES/TECHNOLOGY’S PREVALENCE

• IF EMPLOYEES AND EXECUTIVES ARE GUILTY OF DOWNPLAYING HR’S ROLE, OFTEN SO TOO IS HR IN ASSESSING EMPLOYEES’ ABILITY TO MANAGE INFORMATION.  COMPUTERS FIRST APPEARED IN SCHOOLS OVER 12 YEARS AGO AND TODAY ARE USED BY 75 PERCENT OF AMERICANS TO ACCESS THE INTERNET FOR THREE HOURS A DAY ON AVERAGE.  STILL, MANY IN HR ARE RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP BASIC SELF-SERVICE BENEFIT MANAGEMENT TASKS THAT WOULD SAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND ALLOW THEM TO BETTER ADDRESS COMPANY OBJECTIVES.

•WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT ONLINE BENEFITS MANAGEMENT CAN BE A SCARY PROSPECT FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE LESS COMPUTER SAVVY, HAVING ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ONLINE IS ANOTHER WAY TO PROVIDE GREATER EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION THROUGH ACCESSIBILITY AND CHOICE.  IN FACT, MANY EMPLOYEES WILL EXPECT ONLINE ACCESS, ESPECIALLY TODAY’S YOUNGER GENERATION FOR WHOM IPODS AND IM ARE PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

NOT ALL HR TOOLS ARE CREATED EQUAL•ANOTHER WAY THAT HR CAN HEIGHTEN ITS ROLE AND INCREASE

STRATEGIC INPUT IS BY USING TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER ACCESS, MANAGE, AND REPORT ON INFORMATION.  BUT, AS WITH ANY INDUSTRY, IT IS HARD TO CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER AND HYPE SURROUNDING PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO SELECT THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO MEET ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS. THOUGH ONE PROVIDER MAY DECLARE IT OFFERS SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITIES, FOR INSTANCE, IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME LEVEL NEEDED OR OFFERED BY OTHERS, PROVIDING DISAPPOINTING RESULTS.  FOR AN HR MANAGER THAT HAS MET WITH FALSE PROMISES IN THE PAST, DOING THE HOMEWORK ON PROPOSED SOLUTIONS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.

HR IS AN EASY JOB.• IT IS ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT AS THE SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE

DIFFER. SO EVEN IF YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR THEORIES, EMPLOYMENT LAWS, COMPANY POLICIES ETC….WHAT YOU WOULD BE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING DURING A SITUATION WOULD ACTUALLY DEPEND ON THE SITUATION AND THE PERSON YOU ARE DEALING WITH….AND LIKE IT IS SAID NO PERSON IS SAME …SO NO HR RESPONSE WILL BE SAME AND HENCE THERE IS NO ‘RULE’ TO CRACK A SIMILAR SITUATION.

HR JUST DOES ADMINISTRATIVE WORK AND KEEP MAKING POLICIES.

•HR DOES ADMINISTRATIVE WORK SO THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT AND FOCUS ON THEIR DIRECT OBJECTIVE OF INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY. HOWEVER, WHY DO WE ALWAYS TEND TO FORGET THAT IT IS AN EMPLOYEE WHO ACTUALLY WORKS TO REACH GOALS & INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND IF AN EMPLOYEE ITSELF GETS TRAPPED INTO ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES (WHICH ACTUALLY HR HELPS THEM TO DO…), THEY WILL GET FRUSTRATED AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FOCUS.

HR PEOPLE JUST KEEP TALKING AND NEVER FOUND AT THEIR DESK WHEN NEEDED

• IT IS THEIR JOB TO KEEP TALKING TO PEOPLE AROUND AND KNOW THE PULSE OF WHAT THEY ARE THINKING, WHAT’S THE ISSUE AROUND WHICH  EMPLOYEE WILL NOT TALK ABOUT IN A CLOSED ROOM MEETINGS. YOU MAY FIND HR EXECUTIVES AROUND TO ACTUALLY HELP YOU. THEY ARE ACTUALLY MONITORING THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AND MAKING MENTAL NOTES WHICH WOULD HELP THEM WITH BETTER PERSPECTIVES IN HANDLING PEOPLE ISSUES.

HR EXECUTIVES DON’T REALLY SOLVE THE ISSUE. THEY JUST HEAR THE PROBLEMS.• THEY DO HAVE SOLUTIONS BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DIRECT CHANGES. SO THEY HAVE TO PLAY A ROLE OF ADVISORS MOST OF THE TIME.

•BASICALLY, THE PROBLEM IS THAT HR AS A FUNCTION DOESN’T HAVE A DIRECT PROFIT NUMBERS TO SHOW WHICH LEADS TO ITS SEEMINGLY ‘NON – INFLUENTIAL’ ROLE IN RELATION TO OTHER PROFIT-MAKING BUSINESS UNITS. THERE IS NO DIRECT MEASURE TO COUNT PROFITS MADE BY HR DEPARTMENTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY INDIRECT WAYS (LIKE ATTRITION ANALYSIS, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SCORE ETC.) TO MEASURE THAT HR DOES INFLUENCE BOTTOM LINE. AS AN HR PROFESSIONAL, YOU REALLY HAVE TO PROVE TO THE TOP MANAGEMENT ABOUT YOUR IMPORTANCE AND ONLY THAN YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE AUTHORITY TO REALLY MAKE NEEDED CHANGE.

THEY ARE THE STAFFING FIRM’S EMPLOYEE, SO WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LIABILITY• JOINT EMPLOYMENT PRINCIPLES CREATE LIABILITY FOR BOTH THE

STAFFING FIRM AND THE COMPANY THE LEASED EMPLOYEE PERFORMS WORK FOR.

•MOST CONTINGENT WORKERS ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE STAFFING COMPANY AND  ITS CLIENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONTINGENT WORKERS WORK ALONGSIDE THE CLIENT’S EMPLOYEES. AS A RESULT, THE STAFFING COMPANY AND CLIENT SHARE EMPLOYMENT LAW OBLIGATIONS.

“AT WILL” MEANS WE CAN FIRE ANYONE, ANYTIME, AS THERE IS NO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.

• EVEN AT-WILL EMPLOYERS CANNOT FIRE SOMEONE FOR “BAD CAUSE.” ALSO, THERE IS A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT EVEN IN AT-WILL SITUATIONS.

• REMEMBER THAT AT-WILL DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO FIRE FOR AN ILLEGAL REASON, OR IN SOME CASES, AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY. FURTHERMORE, AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT CAN BE DISPLACED BY AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, WHICH MAY BE CREATED BY OFFER LETTERS AND ORAL STATEMENTS. UNFULFILLED PROMISES MAY LEAD TO LIABILITY FOR FRAUD.

WE CAN TERMINATE APPLICANTS WHO FAIL TO TELL US ABOUT DISABILITIES, RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, OR PREGNANCY THAT INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE JOB. AFTER ALL, THEY EFFECTIVELY LIED TO US.

• THE LAW SAYS THEY DO NOT HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE EMPLOYER BEFORE BEING HIRED. EMPLOYERS MAY NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A JOB APPLICANT BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX (INCLUDING PREGNANCY), NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE (40 OR OLDER), DISABILITY, OR GENETIC INFORMATION.

FEW HARASSMENT LAWSUITS GET FILED, SO I’M NOT WORRIED.

• WHILE STATISTICALLY THE NUMBERS ARE SMALL, THE COSTS ARE HUGE. AND THERE ARE REASONS TO ROOT OUT HARASSING BEHAVIOR BEYOND LITIGATION AVOIDANCE.

IN 2012, THE HRM RECEIVED 21,088 CHARGES OF HARASSMENT. EMPLOYER IMPACTS INCLUDE:

• HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

• ABSENTEEISM

• LOWERED CONCENTRATION AT WORK

• LOWERED MORALE/TEAMWORK/COOPERATION

• TIME SPENT TALKING ABOUT/DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT INSTEAD OF PERFORMING WORK

• TIME-CONSUMING INVESTIGATIONS

•DISTRUST AMONG EMPLOYEES

•ADVERSE PUBLICITY

• TRYING TO GET MANAGERS TO FORGET URBAN LEGENDS—ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY FOR HR MANAGERS. AND ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT—TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN. BUT, WHO’S GOT TIME FOR TRAINING?

•WE’VE SOLVED THAT WITH AN EASY-TO-MANAGE PROGRAM THAT LETS YOU TRAIN IN DISCRETE,       10-MINUTE CHUNKS. A PROGRAM THAT’S EASY FOR YOU TO DELIVER AND THAT REQUIRES LITTLE TIME FROM BUSY SCHEDULES.

•NO BUDGET? IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST COMPANIES IN THESE TIGHT BUDGET DAYS, YOU WILL LIKE THAT IT IS REASONABLE IN COST

ANYONE CAN DO HR

•HR ACTIVITIES ARE BASED ON THEORY AND RESEARCH. HR PROFESSIONALS MUST MASTER BOTH THEORY AND PRACTICE.

HR IS FULL OF FADS.

•HR PRACTICES HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME. HR PROFESSIONALS MUST SEE THEIR CURRENT WORK AS PART OF AN EVOLUTIONARY CHAIN AND EXPLAIN THEIR WORK WITH LESS JARGON AND MORE AUTHORITY

HR IS STAFFED BY NICE PEOPLE

•AT TIMES, HR PRACTICES SHOULD FORCE VIGOROUS DEBATES. HR PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE CONFRONTIVE AND CHALLENGING AS WELL AS SUPPORTIVE

PEOPLE GO INTO HR BECAUSE THEY LIKE PEOPLE.

•HR DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CORPORATE THERAPY OR AS SOCIAL OR HEALTH-AND-HAPPINESS RETREATS. HR PROFESSIONALS MUST CREATE THE PRACTICES THAT MAKE EMPLOYEES MORE COMPETITIVE, NOT MORE COMFORTABLE.

THANK YOU & GOD BLESS

MARTIN L. NOBIS JR