Integrity. Ethics. The last two items on the list of Senior HR Competencies were so closely linked that I did them together. If you are good at one of them, chances are you’re going to be good at the other as well. The same goes the other way. If you’re terrible at one of them, you’ll most likely be terrible at the other, too. Hope you enjoyed the series!
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G’Day Ben,
I accidentally found myself working in a pay office way back in 1963; before you were born, I’m sure. I’ve worked in and around HR ever since. I’ve enjoyed your little series on HR competencies. There’s another that I reckon should be in the top five: service.
Line managers are the customers of HR professionals. We need to find out what service those managers require from us and provide it the best way we know how so that they can make a greater contribution to the effectiveness of the overall business.
That’s all. And we should avoid like thee plague, words like “inboarding.”
Regards
Leon
Leon,
Have you never really heard of the phrase onboarding before? It’s quite well know, documented, researched and professionally respected both within and outside of the HR field.
It’s been strongly correlated with increased performance throughout an employees tenure with the organization, and organization’s like the Corporate Executive Board and the Aberdeen Group have published white papers on it’s impact on employees.
Heresy is great, dude… but it’s gotta be rooted in reality.
- Chris
G’Day Chris,
I’ve responded separately to Ben about the word “onboarding” I agree that a thorough staff induction for new employees is essential. If you look in the ‘staff selection’ category on my blog you’ll see that.
My objection is to the invention of new words for which there is a perfectly good and widely accepted “old” word.
The first of Ben’s HR competencies was “communications. ” I agree. But as I’ve said to you before, I believe that we must learn managers’ language and speak it: not create a new language for managers to learn. That is, of course, if we want to develop professional credibility.
And “inboarding” is such an ugly, lego type word. It’s only a matter of time before some HR genius starts calling termination “outboarding.”
Sorry Chris. HR “professionals,” or, for that matter, the members of any other group claiming to be “professional,” have to stop confusing talking with each other with talking to their clients.
“Induction” is a perfectly good word to describe a valid and essential HR function. HR doesn’t need a contrived word with connotations of motor boats and other unsavoury practices to replace it. I know who’s gunna be “rooted,” to use your word, if HR people continue down this path.
Well mate, you did ask.
Avagoodweegend!
Leon.
I’ve never heard the word inboarding, but I have heard the word onboarding, which you’ve similarly criticized recently. Staff selection and onboarding are not the same thing, though effective onboarding does start well before the selection process and continues well after.
Do buzzwords obfuscate and confuse? Absolutely. But naming things can also be a powerful act. Onboarding isn’t a buzzword anymore than selection is.
G’Day Chris,
I promise that these will be my last words on this subject. Please accept my most humble apologies for getting my “ins.” “outs.” and “ons’ confused. It’s probably senile decay combined with a dash of Aussie “she’ll be rightness.”
But for the benefit of any other readers, permit me to point out that I referred you to the selection category on my blog because that happens to be the place where my posts about “induction”-onboarding-reside. I agree with you that induction-onboarding-is vitally important. And never for the nanniest of nanoseconds have I ever suggested that selection and induction-onboarding-are the same thing.
I have now dismounted from my high horse.
Regards
Leon