When GM announced they were putting a non-HR professional in the top HR slot in the organization there has been a lot of chatter about how HR is looked at in organizations. In my experience I have been on both sides of the fence. I have been the HR Business Partner working strategically with management to streamline processes and help them achieve their goals. On the other hand, I have also been that person who “handles all of the paperwork” and makes sure everything is in order so we don’t get fined, or even worse sued. Now, I am sure a majority of you, like I do, prefer the first scenario, but I have to wonder if our opportunity to continue down that road is slowly slipping away.
For years, HR has struggled to get a seat at the table, to be looked at as a partner with management. It’s what we want, yet what are we doing about it? Are we taking the time to understand the business? How do we as HR professionals help run the organization more efficiently? Do we step out of our HR box and see the big picture? One of the companies I worked for had everyone who was hired into a support staff position was required to spend a few hours each day rotating through each job within the operations function of the organization. This gave new hires a greater understanding of the organization, but also how their job related to the bottom line. Now, I know this is not feasible for most organizations, but what if as HR professionals we took that same process into account. What if we spent a few hours with Accounting talking to them about what they do, or find out what R&D is currently working on? I will tell you what it does… it builds rapport, trust, and respect.
If we want to keep our seat, we cannot get lazy. We have to keep working on those relationships. If we want to get there we need to start building those relationships. We need to understand the talk, dig deep, and get involved. As the economy changes, so are organizations, which means HR is evolving … Are we going to be a part of that evolution or part of the extinction?
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