This morning a great discussion popped up among the social media team at SHRM, and I just had to share. This will probably be a little controversial, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…

Can we cut to the chase? Let’s get rid of HR. Managers should be doing “HR’s job.”

Because in a surprising number of cases it’s not really HR’s job.

Want your HR team to be useful and provide real value to the organization? Let HR focus on strategic activity, supporting the critical business functions, and planning for the future.

Why?

Because when you spend all day fighting fires, responding to emergencies (real or imagined), and generally acting as a crutch for managers who won’t manage, there’s no time for the activities that will truly demonstrate the value of HR.

Should HR completely get out of the practice of being a facilitator for employees and managers? A large portion of the support that managers request from HR is actually work that could (and arguably should) be accomplished by the manager.

Anonymous HR professional: But wait, my managers need me! They need my help. They don’t have time to help employees set goals, talk with them about performance issues, or discuss succession opportunities. I’m a critical piece of the puzzle!

Yeah, those HR pros are going to be hurting, because change never happens without some growth pain. For those that want to cling to the “power” they have by being a resource for managers, they’ll never be able to grow into true strategic players in the organization.

The choice is yours, but I’d like to explore getting rid of HR as it’s all-too-commonly practiced. It’s about time.