HR as a Strategic partner Essay Example for Free

HR as a Strategic partner Essay Human Resources – the one department that is the most important to a company’s bottom-line is also one that is treated with the least respect across all industries. The general consensus is that the HR Department and the rest of the organization are Strange Bedfellows, when in fact they are Strategic Partners who should blend seamlessly to achieve organizational objectives. But what we see is a single-minded dislike for the HR department by most employees of the organization. The reason for this sorry state of affairs can be traced to several widespread myths regarding the function among employees. Two of the most important ones are as follows: Myth No. 1 – Employees feel that â€Å"The HR function is responsible for making employees happy. They should take care of everything, from providing employees good food to ensuring that the AC’s temperature is just right†. When in reality, an HR manager’s job is not to make employees content; it is to make them competent. In simpler words, HR Managers will not provide you a beanbag at work to recline on, but they will strive to increase your competencies that would hold you in good stead for the rest of your life. And that is all that matters in today’s professional and highly competitive world. Myth No. 2 – â€Å"The HR department comprises of a bunch of people who sit around in their ivory tower and make rules according to their whims and fancies†. While actually, HR as a function not only belongs to HR Managers, but to all managers across the organization. Translated, it means that the HR function is highly inclusive and works in tandem with all departments of the company. The criticality of the HR function can be understood by asking a simple question – What is it that makes any organization a success or a failure? Planning, Strategic decisions, Productivity, Sales figures, etc. , are a few things that instantly come to mind. What we forget to acknowledge is the fact that all these factors are a result of the efforts of the â€Å"people† of the organization. And who ensures that the right kinds of people are positioned in the right jobs in the company? The answer to that one is quite obvious. The HR department performs an array of complex activities – From Manpower Planning to Recruitment, Performance Management to Compensation and Benefits, Training and Development to Career Advancement; all of which aim at Organizational as well as individual employee development. And yet they are accused of being a ‘necessary evil’ and a ‘dark bureaucratic force’ by many. The HR function is Necessary, Yes; is it an evil? No! It is a Force, yes; but Dark and Bureaucratic? No and No! So why is HR misunderstood and mistrusted by so many, especially when the function is a benign one? Honestly, the blame lies partly with the HR managers as well for letting things get out of hand. Somewhere in the trade-off between the various roles that they are expected to play, HRs in general have started placing more importance on the roles of the ‘Admin Expert’ ‘Strategic Partner’ and have foregone the roles of the ‘Change Agent’ and ‘Employee Champion’. While they are performing the former two flawlessly, the latter roles are of great importance as well. And this negligence has resulted in widespread manifestation of disregard for the function. And unless we strike a balance between these paradoxical roles, redefining HR as an EmployeeFriendly function would be an uphill task. That said, let’s take a look what other options we have, as future HR personnel to dispel the feeling of general animosity towards the function? The answer quite simply lies in the basics. As with any other relationship, proper communication is the key to mend damages in professional relationships too. The HR person is every employee’s first point of contact before/ immediately after joining an organization. Right from the induction programs, it is the HR who facilitates the transition of a person from an outsider to a member of the organization. And we need to leverage this power for all its worth right from the word go! We need to establish proper communication channels right from the time of entry of the employee into the organization and ensure that this process of communication is a perpetual process and not an intermittent one. Next of course are the all-encompassing and highly coveted employee engagement programs. Ensuring that the HR department is projected not merely as a facilitator but also as the interface that conducts such engagement activities would ensure that employees have a change in perspective regarding HRs in general. Instead of going about this the tried and tested way, HRs can get creative and use several innovative means to achieve this. From videos depicting ‘a day in the life of an HR’ to shadowing programs (which would give employees a real-time feel of the trials and tribulations of an HR person) the possibilities are endless. And most importantly, as stressed upon earlier in this article, HR is not just about performance appraisals and pay cuts. The function is the backbone of any organization, performing an array of critical activities. HR managers need to convince the employees that they are in fact their allies and not their detractors. The new age HR managers need to remember that each action of theirs reflects on the image of the function as a whole. A slight change in our attitudes would go a long way in changing employee perceptions about our function. We as a team honestly believe that it is not a question of ‘If’ this change would happen; rather it is a question of ‘When’ it would happen. And when this happens, the HR function would assume its rightful position of importance in the Organizational structure.