Responding to Criticism-How to Prove HR’s Value

So yesterday I posted on a comment from a reader on a previous post. The person was obviously disgruntled with the HR people in their company, and I wanted to take the opportunity to respond here. Obviously I think HR in general has value for the company, leadership, and employees, but how does that play out in the real world?

How HR Provides Value

  • Recruiting-Many managers don’t want to stop working to interview candidates, much less create strong job ads, prescreen candidates, hold multiple interviews, and select the best fit for both competency and culture. The HR/recruiting function uses those tools to help keep turnover costs down and productivity high, both of which can significantly impact profitability. Continue reading →

HR-Glorified Administration or Something More?

Recently I saw this comment on an HR blog post and couldn’t resist discussing it. Most of us would be quick to defend the work we do, but I’m looking for some strong, well thought out responses to the criticism. I’m going to post my own response tomorrow, so be sure to come back to see what I’m thinking.

HR is not relevant in any workplace. It is merely glorified administration that serves no real purpose other than to suck resources from the business the HR ‘professionals’ (I use that term somewhat ironically) Continue reading →

Thinking On Your Feet-The Hidden Leadership Skill

As I’ve been pulled into more meetings and face-to-face interactions with our leadership team, I’ve noticed two things.

  1. Some of our leaders are very, very good at thinking on their feet.
  2. Me? Not so much.

Okay, I get that perspective is a big part of this discussion, but it’s really been interesting to observe some people taking on tough questions without flinching. Is it competency? Seniority? Age? Job function? What’s the secret?

If I had to say, it’s probably a good mix of all those, plus a dozen other intricate details (personality, familiarity with the group, etc.). So what’s a person to do if they are not very good at it to start with?

Lessons from improv

I did a little research to get some ideas on how to respond more naturally to those types of questions, and the “Yes, and…” tool is one that I’ve started implementing already. Continue reading →

7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave (Book Review)

Recently I received a copy of 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham to review. It was great timing, because I’ve had the “big picture” retention ideas floating through my head in preparation for the HR portion of a leadership retreat at work. This truly was a fantastic book with many great insights, and I can’t list them all here. I’ll hit on some of the high points that really got my blood pumping as an “in the trenches” HR pro:

  • There is a major disconnect with regard to how managers understand retention. According to the research, 89% of managers believe employees leave/stay for money; however, surveys show 80-90% of employees leave for reasons not related to pay (job fit, manager, culture, work environment, etc.)
  • In many companies exit interviews are handled by HR. Surely we’re using that opportunity to learn where our weaknesses are and how to manage them, right? Wrong! 42% of HR departments admit their exit interview program isn’t effective. Continue reading →

How to Be the Smartest Person in the Room

My former manager was an amazing leader and mentor. She had some brilliant sayings that I took to heart, and she recently left me with a piece of advice that I’ll never forget.

Become the smartest person in the room by knowing you are not.

You don’t get smarter or better by thinking you’re the best. You get that way by looking for the good in others and being open to what others can teach you.

The moment you start thinking you’re better than everyone else in the room is the moment you start falling behind.

I think sometimes we could all use that reminder.

Are Job Descriptions Really Necessary?

When you get down to the hard facts, are job descriptions really necessary? Honestly, I don’t know. We got along for several years with a strong performance management process that helps employees to define their responsibilities and what they are rated on.

In the age of “I can sue anyone for anything at any time,” companies are pressed to have job descriptions in place with employee signatures on them. Continue reading →

How to “Make” Someone Do Something

handful of cashEveryone in the audience watched expectantly.

The speaker had just challenged someone from the audience to come up on stage and try to get him to let go of a $20 bill from his clenched fist. The first lady steps up and pries on his fingers, but doesn’t have any luck. The next guy is bigger, stronger. He gives it a little more effort, but he isn’t able to force the man to let it go. Continue reading →