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We’re delighted to introduce our latest contributor, The Secret HR Director. Each month our undercover operator, who has worked for some of the world’s largest organisations, will speak out on the biggest issues in HR that many in the industry simply sweep under the carpet.
As the first month of the year draws to a close, many in HR will be putting in place new strategies they hope will make a splash. But how many are lacking the substance to make a difference?
If there’s something many people in senior HR roles like doing, it’s an initiative. Rolling out an employee engagement initiative. A new performance review system. Going for best places to work award.
But how much of this is for them and how much is for the organisation?
HR is an overhead. Bad HR is a cost. You don’t want your department to be referred to as “blockers”, “pointless” or “human remains”. So this is where the initiatives come in. You can garner peer approval and win awards with these initiatives – and then you prove that HR is doing the right thing in your organisation.
A new HR Director might enter a company with bold promises of getting it into the Best Companies to Work For. That becomes the focus, and creates many more initiatives – which involve lots of fun awaydays, focus groups and “engagement activities”. The department name is changed from HR to People.
Ok, the pay and reward system is wasting millions, the attrition rates are sky high . . . . but here is something that the CEO can understand, and the HRD will get their name in lights – and a whopping great big bonus when it happens (or article in an HR publication, at the very least).
However, tempting it is to do these sexy initiatives, gain lots of praise from peers and some great stuff on the CV for your next job, is part of the role of the HRD to be less focused on HR but on what the business actually needs?
That’s not to say I don’t love a good initiative. Now, where is that flip chart?
Geraldine Buckland
Sian Vernon
Sean Durrant