This article is not for the weak. This article is not for the 'job for life' folks. This article is definitely not for the 'make HR great' advocates. Probably best to stop reading now...you have been warned.
This article is absolutely for business owners, managers, leaders who KNOW in their bones that their employees, contractors, temps, casuals - all of their people are THEIR responsibility to manage, and manage well. If that's not you, if you think you need a HR consultant, in your business, then you should probably stop reading now as well.
First let me tell you why I get to have the opinion below. I've worked in training, learning, development, human resources, organisational development, and as a business owner for almost 25 years! I get to have this opinion because it's my lived experience, not because I studied HR and was told how important it is to business (I've also done that too - I have my Masters Degree and more qualifications).
Alright, so what led me to hear?
"Send them to HR." "HR will deal with that."
Plus...about 15 years ago in a consulting/contract role I was doing (coaching HR team, auditing processes, integrating improvements, developing training for managers), I said to one of the Senior HR Advisors, "Success to me is working myself out of a job." She balked! I think her words weer something like 'that's ridiculous, why would you want to do that?'. I replied with, "why wouldn't you?!" (she was not the only I've met in HR with that perspective!).
So two things, abdication of the management/leadership role from the actual managers/leaders and HR professionals who are keeping themselves employed.
Here are the things that HR people do:
There might be a few more things that do not come to mind at the time of writing.
Now if you really scrutinise this list (not all that hard in my opinion), you'll see that these jobs are really part of being a manager.
What I've observed over the years is that HR does not come with business acumen. I'm really grateful that I've always been entrepreneurial and run businesses (side gigs) most of my adult life.
What that's allowed me to be in observance of and be an implementer of is 'best for business and people' and, you guessed it - work myself out of a job.
If managers do not know how to manage people - from hiring to farewell, then that is a failure of the business - its leadership and management.
Cast your mind back to the old apprentice model, you worked with the master of trade, the owner of the business. You watched, you did all the shitty jobs first, then got given a little, then a little more, got feedback, sent back to the shitty jobs when you had a shitty attitude, but you learnt every part of being that master - watching, listening, doing to becoming. If you failed the master took responsibility and accountability and so did you.
Whilst it was a side trip, it paints a picture of business that is truly integrity, growth and long term focused.
Not through abdicating the responsibility of growing your successor to someone who doesn't intimately know, through observation and experience, how you be the great manager or leader or business owner that you be - HR is not your business, you are!
If you're not very good at managing or leading, then choose to learn. Breakthrough what makes it uncomfortable for you physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically (let's have a chat).
There are some aspects of people management that support is required, these can be (with where they belong) - legal matters (legal team), remuneration (payroll, bookkeeper, accountant), HR system management (IT)...that's it.
Let that digest for now, if I told you to stop reading at the top and you kept going, you may be feeling like a solid rant right now, that's okay - you get it all out. I will tell you that now that this seed has been planted it's not going anywhere. You may try to prove me wrong, that's okay too - you get it all out 🙂
Because too many people are in too many manufactured professions - that shouldn't exist in a healthy society.
I dare you to contemplate first and then share your reflections.
Would you like to become the manager and leader you know you have the potential to be?
Would you like to grow long term success?
Book a quick call in with me on via my contact page and let's have a chat about what's in your way right now.
With much love, hugs, and magic!
Bhavna xx
