It is not often that I’m rendered speechless, ask anyone who knows me, but this comment did the trick.
“You’re too smart to be in H.R.”
Fortunately, speechlessness was better than my mouth pouring forth what was streaming through my mind which would have been even more inappropriate than comment.
A few weeks later, I was speaking on a panel and an audience member called out: “H.R. people are all about the rules, and confined in their thinking.” I got on my soapbox and spoke about development and people as competitive advantages but I was interrupted by the same person yelling out, “Well, you’re an exception.” The moderator moved us along.
I’m proud to say that, in the years I have been in the profession, H.R. has received more recognition for its contributions to the business world. However, I am disappointed that although it has come further along, it has not come far enough. The perception is that we still lag behind, a profession of naysayers and rule followers.
Some companies now realize that H.R. directs probably the biggest investment that the company makes: the one it makes in its people. The intellectual capital built by a team and the company culture are things that cannot be easily replicated by competitors, or replicated at all. Still, H.R. is still considered a second-tier profession. So here is my call to arms for my peers:
- Stop telling our peers that we need to “earn a seat at the table.” Do we say that to any other profession? Ever said that to the CFO or CIO? No. OK, maybe that’s just a pet peeve of mine, but the point still holds. If you’re not at the table, you’re either not doing your job right, or you’re at the wrong company. Either way, something’s got to change. Stop talking about it and start doing something about it.
- Stretch to be a resource for your intelligence, sage advice, analysis, communication skills, and not just for your HR expertise.
- Once in your career work for a small company where you have to do it all yourself or be part of a small team. There is no better way to understand the functions and necessity of your role.
- Work on cross functional teams as often as you can. Work in other departments if you get the opportunity. The wider your perspective the better your vision. Partner with leaders in other functions and get to know their pain points, their struggles and help support them.
- I’ve reported to the CFO, General Counsel, and believe it or not, an engineer, in my career. Get over it and get on with your job. Who cares who you report to? Do the job to the best of your ability, be a great advisor, and pretty soon the CEO will want you to report directly to him/her.
- Don’t ask for things – earn them.
- Grow a backbone and some thick skin. Make a stand for what you believe in. If you don’t win your point, don’t take it personally. Either come at it from another perspective and try again, or live to fight another day; regardless, don’t get discouraged.
- Be professional – always.
- Do not be a speed bump for the company, be the express lane. Help get things moving in the direction needed and eliminate obstacles. Don’t be the one to stand and point out problems, be the one that brings solutions.
- Don’t say “No” without an alternative. The job isn’t to say no, it is to provide a risk analysis.
- If you’re bored, then you aren’t doing your job right. Stretch yourself to learn and try new things every day.
- Be fair and know that you deal with people– not positions or numbers.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more. One of the largest gaps in business today is between the vision that the executives have for the company and the understanding the employees have of that vision. Become a conduit between the two and facilitate communication both ways.
- Work yourself up the ladder and work yourself out of a job by developing a strong team. Then move on and do it again. We are supposed to help others develop their teams. Be an example.
- Understand your business, know your people, and know the numbers. You don’t have to be the CFO, but you better understand what s/he is saying and how to read a P & L (if you don’t know what that is, start by learning that).
- Feedback is a gift. Accept it from anyone and everyone who will give it to you. Then do something with it to make yourself better.
- Integrity – without question, without exception.
- Develop people: not just H.R. people, but everyone. Help raise up the entire company. Implement programs, champion learning in the organization – it makes everyone better and drives the company forward.
- Be innovative and analytical, and realize those two things don’t contradict each other, but rather support each other.
- Enjoy what you do or get out and do something else. If you don’t love what you do – why are you wasting your precious life doing it?
- If it is all about the money, you’re selling yourself out.
- Regardless of what your title is: be a leader.
- Be a talent magnet. Be the best spokesperson for the company culture and be able to ignite excitement in others to make them want to join the team.
- Have a sense of humor. I’m convinced, with all the craziness that we deal with, if you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re going to crack.
- Stop renaming yourself – Talent Management, People Services, People Support, People Innovation (I’m guilty of this too), and redefine yourself. That is the ultimate objective.
Bottom line – don’t apologize for being in H.R. and accepting second-tier professional status, be proud of your profession. How you are perceived begins and ends with you. But since we’re in this profession together, let’s work together on making it better, and breaking those old fashioned notions of H.R. Because they may be the past, but they’re not our future.
