When you think about the term “human resources”, it’s a little humourous. You could have been a resource for animals or plants but you decided humans was the route to go! The fun and amusing thing about human resources, is that no two days are ever the same and your success is often time determined by the success of others.
As a HR professional, you may be questioning if another job going to be automated, is my team quiet quitting...am I quiet quitting? Is the great resignation still a thing? As the way we work changes, the way we provide resources to humans changes. Too often, we implement new technology and tools without considering if those tools are helpful or a hindrance. To be the best resource for humans,HR must understand how to help others succeed, advise management to lead solid teams, and show up as our best selves. Let’s talk about!
Outcomes, Others, and Ourselves
Working in HR comes with maintaining confidential information. Sometimes that hinders HR from asking others for help. It is important to know what information managers have access to so you know how to pull them in for help. While our title may say HR, HR responsibilities are also part of management. Delegating some HR responsibilities to management such as performance reviews, promotions and counseling; allows managers to build better bonds. Delegation isn’t about dumping task on someone else, but a coaching initiative that helps
leaders develop others. Don’t worry about someone not getting a task right the first time, delegation is not a one time thing. When the focus is on outcomes, it enables others to show up as their best self.
This leads me to “ourselves”. HR advocates for employees to focus on their mental health, use vacation time and step away from their desk for lunch. We need to take the advice we give. Employee relations and revolving meetings can feel overwhelming. The work is always going to be there, we must taking time off to “woo-sah” to be able to show up and show out.
Distance but not Distant
Hybrid and remote working is typical for many industries and jobs. The challenge for managers is maintaining team connections and productivity for employees who are geographically distant. It is HR’s responsibility to provide advisory to managers on building and managing an effective team. For managers leading remote teams, HR can advise by:
Advocating for managers to champion change.
Informing managers of tools and tech available and how to use in an efficient way.
Teaching manager the skills to overcome remote team communication challenges.
Consulting management to build trust by communicating powerfully and transparently.
I recently read The Long Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel. This is a great resource for HR professionals who provide advisory on remote management.
Create a Space for Gig Workers
We have to be real about what work looks like today. People do not stay at jobs for decades for the risk of missing out on salary increases, promotions, and increased flexibility. People realize jobs come and go, but careers are here to stay. This powerful mindset and confidence has allowed people to take control of their careers. While adapting, changing, and evolving are challenging for any business, I encourage HR professionals to explore how they can connect with gig workers to develop beneficial business outcomes.
Bring Love to Work
Love and work, can the two co-exist? When you love work it doesn’t mean that you love everything about your job. There will always be task that we do not enjoy, but when we love what we do we get to be creators, risk-takers, and innovators. I challenge you to pay attention to the task and projects where time seamlessly passes by. Those are the task you love. Discover more ways you can adds those task into your regular work schedule.
Human Capital Management
Human capital management is when you take the typical administrative HR task such as benefits, payroll and scheduling; and turn it into a resource to build a better workplace.
Tap into Untapped Talent
The challenge many employers face is not having qualified talent to fill positions. Yet, many employers fail to expand the ways they search for talent. Indeed and LinkedIn are great sources to find talent but there is so much more. HR, advocate for leaders and talent acquisition professionals to connect with local trades schools, community organizations, and diverse job boards.
Disrupt HR
Disrupt HR and challenge the status quo. Yes, performance reviews are typically done but shake up how performance reviews are done. Consider tools like StandOut, that encourage managers and employees to have powerful relationships where communication thrives. Disrupt the typical ways of working to improve inclusion and the workplace for all.
Get Rid of Lunch and Learns
Asking employees to give up their lunch break to sit through a lunch and learn is not going to get you the “best places to work “award no matter how good the pizza is. Consider a spin on the typical lunch training session; such as facts and snacks for an early day information session. Lunch breaks are the one time of day team members get to step away and recharge. Give people their time back. No more lunch and learns.
All in all, being the best resource for humans comes down to leading from the heart, actively listening, and forever learning. By the time you finish this article a new HR software is probably being announced. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the new trends, instead do your best work in helping others do their best work.