Ultimate success in HR is that we work with business leaders to drive successful human capital decisions, structure and processes that result in tangible improvements to the success of the organization. To be successful in this type of "Business Driver" role takes time to build critical relationships, really understand the business, establish and evaluate metrics, effectively network, etc.

For those who wish to attain this level, there are things we have to let go of in order to free up time for the above "Important but not urgent" activities. I'd like to get some of your thoughts on those things that as HR professionals we can "give up" in order to free up more time.

For example, will the business crash and burn if we don't hold their hand through every individual employee performance issue? If we empower leaders to make their own judgements in this regard, they'll learn and gain confidence in their abilities either through their success or their failure. Yes it is a risk, but how much do we blow that risk out of proportion in HR? Is our job really to be the ones that make sure no one messes up decisions related to employees? If so, we'll likely never be a successful business driver.

What takes up a lot of your time that if you pushed off your plate and empowered the business would allow you the time necessary to be a successful Business Driver?

The Social Media Buzz

In HR, we seem to like talking about broad based topics that are looming as difficulties in our profession. We talk about the problem of employee engagement and needing to be employers of choice. We talk about aging of the workforce and the looming crises as Baby Boomers retire. We talk about the different generations at work and how complicated it is to make everyone happy. The boogie man under the bed, and many other bad things.

They are all very real topics but I'm always curious as to what, if anything, we actually do to deal with the issues. For instance, everyone is talking about Social Media right now. But do organizations see that social media could help to create different relationships with their employees? Could help engage the younger generations? Could help to get work done?

I recently participated in a Canadian survey regarding the current use of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, wikis, etc. in the workplace. The results are in - 71% of employers participating have full on restrictions on using the internet at work, and only 17% use some type of social media to communicate with their employees. Email is still by far the number one way for communicating in the workplace. Seems like there is lots of talk but no action.

If your organization is like many, we all seem to be doing more with less (people I mean). We have a majority of employees who sit somewhere in the two youngest generations in the workforce. We are always looking for ways to communicate with our people. Get them engaged. Help them feel fulfilled at work. Empower them. Ultimately have them produce more output (whatever that is).

Perhaps now is the time to move beyond email and meetings and move to instant messaging with team mates across the country, social networks of co-workers interested in solving common work problems, and access to information that will help people be creative and inspired.

The survey shows that organizations are very slow to adopt social media as a legitimate way to get work done. I wonder how long it will take before the advantages are seen to out weigh the disadvantages? Before we stop talking and start acting.

What do you think? What Does Success in HR Look Like?

One of the discussions my HR Unplugged colleagues and I have all the time is about success in HR. What does it look like? Sound like? Smell like (OK...maybe not smell...)

The field of HR has gone from personnel management to human resource management. We hear constantly about being a business partner and having a seat at the executive table. Are these measures of success? And what does having a 'seat at the table actually mean'?

My colleagues sometime talk about being business professionals with a people focus to describe who we are. We discuss having a seat at the business leaders table every day, not just at an 'executive' table once in a while, as a measure of our success. This blog post at fistfuloftalent.com starts to get at what our HR team has been trying to achieve.

How do you describe your work as an HR professional? How do you measure your success?

We'd like to hear from you.

How legit are you?

A physician gets respect largely due to the things they've learned through school and a rigorous practicum. An engineer needs to reach high standards of proven knowledge and apply it before they get their professional designation. An electrician earns their stripes through a structured education and apprenticeship program. When the general public hears the word M.D., P.Eng. or Electrician, they have a general trust that these individuals, unless proven otherwise, can deliver in their areas of expertise.

Enter the HR profession. The audience that we're trying to impress is not so much the general public, but the business leaders in our company. My question to you is, where does your legitimacy come from as an HR professional? What makes you (or would make you) a good business partner (or business driver) in the eyes of business leaders where you work? I'm going to open things up to a discussion about HR designations (CHRP in Canada).

My personal aim in the HR profession is to be an internal business driver that works with the company to ensure people are effective, and that our people practices contribute to the bottom line. The other side of this bottom-line contribution, is that they shouldn't be overly complex as to distract employees from a focus on growth or productivity.

To what extent will my time be well spent working towards my CHRP versus job shadowing, studying company financials, questioning various business leaders on our operations or hanging-out on the shop floor? I'd love to hear your comments about the relative importance of an HR designation in our quest to become effective business partners. What opportunities are there to tailor HR designations more towards getting us that long discussed seat at the leadership table?

"Cut the Crap" HR Business Partner Recruiting

The ultimate end in being a business partner is to be a key player in driving the direction of the business. Two ultimate examples I’ve seen are HR manager being the out of office business contact for an area manager, and a VP of HR who was trusted to take a VP role in the business.

In my experience, really successful business partners (business drivers) have three common attributes:
1. Personality - Likeable, Charismatic, REAL/authentic
2. Confidently Persuasive
3. Posesses a strong grasp of how people impact business success that they can articulate in the language of business leaders

So if these are really the types of people we're looking for, do we continue to use standard techniques to hire the right people? What are some ways we can "cut the crap" out of our recruiting processes to target our hiring to successful HR business partners?

Interested to hear your thoughts. Here are some UNPLUGGED ideas on assessing business partner candidate fit (we'll leave it to you to determine which ones we've actually heard of being used, and which haven't) We'd love to hear your ideas...please add them in the comments.

-Pre-warn the candidate that the interview may last 15 minutes to an hour. Don't waste an hour if you know there's no hope...give them feedback on the spot and save yourself an email or phone call later.
-Likeability: Score on your assesment guide about how you'd feel after a 5 hour plane ride beside them.
-Persuasiveness: Have them try to persuade you of the merits of a 5-hour workday
-Business Understanding: Case study interview including some basic financials
-Likeability: "Date" the candidate - Go to a sporting event, take them bowling or have a casual lunch with them to get a sense of their authenticity and find out what they're really about
-Persuasiveness: Send them out with a salesperson for your company and see how well they can sell your product
-Persuasiveness: When they come in for an interview, send them to a business leader to deal with an actual HR issue...talk to the business leader after to see how they did.
-Persuasiveness/Authenticity: Ask them in the interview why you should offer them the job. Challenge their responses: How do you know you want the job? What makes you think you'd be successful here?

What are some other "cut the crap" ways to effectively assess a good business partner without spending hours on those who are not a good fit? Be creative...

Is this you?

To CHRP or not to CHRP

When it comes to the CHRP designation I find myself in the same conundrum as Hamlet when he pondered the question of whether to live a life of action or a life of silent acceptance (or even end it all). What I mean is, do I maintain my CHRP designation and accept that it doesn't really represent a higher level of experience and commitment to the HR profession, OR do I take action, and make a statement by letting the damned thing lapse and spending the re-certification money on coffee, chocolate and other equally important things?

My question stems from observing people new to the field, and people who have just finished a 2 year HR diploma, prepare and study for the exams that, if passed, will earn them the CHRP designation. The same designation that many of my seasoned colleagues, and myself, can only maintain if every 3 years we fill in a ridiculous form to prove that we know what we're doing in our jobs every day! Give me a break!

Maybe I'm confused about what the CHRP designation is?

I was recently asked to complete a questionnaire by the association governing the CHRP designation in Alberta, to clarify what exactly someone holding a CHRP does. Now, being a committed HR professional, I decided to act on the request and complete the survey. By the second question I could feel my blood begin to boil and my frustrations begin to rise. Somehow, I was expected to check the most appropriate box that would accurately describe what a CHRP does every day and how important that work is in their day. What the hell? How can we expect to define a CHRP (positioned in the survey, as a person, rather than a designation) in such a simple manner? Shouldn't the CHRP be about experience, integrity, breadth and depth of knowledge, and not about defining how important the tasks associated with organization development or recruitment are each day?

Needless to say, I stopped mid-way through the survey and sent an email to the association to let them know how absurd their questions were.

Speaking of questions, I guess I've answered my own...the answer is "Not to CHRP".

It's not you...It's me!

Another case of "It’s not you…it’s me" If you ask me, the recruitment process is just like one big ol’ round of speed dating, with the hope and expectation that you are about to meet THE ONE. As a hiring manager, you’d like to start this ideal relationship as quickly as possible. You are bound to meet a few crazy people along the way and there are some for whom you definitely want a criminal background check. Then, you meet someone who creates that dazzling first impression and you ask yourself, “Could this be the one?” But you come down to earth and ask yourself, “Is this person a good investment? Will they meet my needs? Will they be dependable?”

So, you believe you have now found ‘The One’ as from out of nowhere the dream candidate has emerged. They are clearly a wonderful investment…the person you want to take on business trips, to meet the owners of the company, the one who will know that you like your morning coffee with 1 cream and 2 sugars. You’ve even gone so far as to doodle their name with their new title after it. You can't wait for them to meet the rest of the team. Employment bliss! But then, you’re about to sign on the dotted line and BAM!! They back away at the last minute because they have found another employer they like better. You’re left asking, what did we do wrong? We have so much to offer…how could they not see that? Meanwhile, your co-worker consoles you and tells you that they did not deserve us anyway. It’s another case of “It’s not you, it’s me.” They didn’t pick us because they felt that the other company had more to offer.

At a time when there are so many employers to choose from, candidates are taking jobs that offer them more than just a pay cheque and a place to show up to from 9-5 Monday to Friday. How do we make sure that the candidate understands the full breadth of what we offer and that they see us as a good investment for the future? How do we show that we are a super employer, or do we just hope that people will figure this out for themselves?

How do we compete with other employers for the best candidates? What are the innovative ways that a company can sell itself to dream candidates to ensure that they don't end the relationship before it's even started?

Written by: "Ashley" Speed Date Survivor!

What's leftover on the dessert tray?

Can you relate to getting to the dessert tray late and being left with the apple strudel because the caramels, nanaimo bars and sticky-sweet desserts are all gone? I think we've all been there, and probably in the not too distant past given we've just come off of the holiday season.

What would your ultimate dessert tray look like? What if the "leftovers" were just as good as what was taken first?

Now translate that to careers: We all have the ultimate choice about where we work and we should invest time to make sure we have a tray filled with our favourite kinds of Chocolates and not dried-up fruitcake. Here's three aspects of organization fit for HR professionals to consider: What's your culture, Who's your team and What's your power.

What's your culture?
This is a broad question, but it covers the speed of your company the stage of your business and the personality of your brand. Is it a work-hard, play hard atmosphere, or is it more of an administrative machine?

Who's your team?
Do you like the people you work with? Are they the type of people you love to see every day and is there some unity with the way everyone approaches HR?

What's your power?
Everyone claims that people are their most important asset, but there are different things that power different businesses. This changes the look of an HR department. For example, an oil and gas production company is powered a lot by the pressure underground that drives the fuel to the surface. People come into play as they need to know how to use the technology properly. On the other side of the spectrum, service based companies who rely on customer service, must invest a lot in their people, vs. technology to get things done. HR plays a huge part in this.

The question to ask yourself is: What does the dessert tray look like that awaits you every morning at your desk, and is it a fit with your preferences. There is an organization out there that mirrors your ultimate dessert tray and is waiting for your contribution to its success. You owe it to yourself to do some investigation to find that company.

T'was the day before termination

Hmmmm....so not really in the mood to post any serious HR topics through the holidays so what should we write about???

I know, I know.....Let's get a twisted HR mind ravish a holiday classic poem!!

Happy Holidays everyone - HRunplugged


T'WAS THE DAY BEFORE TERMINATION

T’was the day before termination, when all through the pod
Not an individual was aware of the impending “act of god.”
Paul was calm as could be with no worries at all,
Talking about the fun he would have on the weekend pub crawl.

Coming in around noon was a usual occurrence
Multiple warnings didn’t create any deterrence.
Spreadsheets were developed with too many mistakes,
That made Paul’s Manager develop multiple headaches.

His ego was huge, he would brag “how great am I?”
To which everyone would stare fuming without giving a reply
The team would complain that Paul never pulled his weight,
His continual lack of commitment would make everyone irate!

They day had come where enough was enough
After yelling at Molly, “hey there, hot stuff!”
Paul’s Manager picked up the phone, things had gone way too far,
And dialed the department that could save him….yep it’s HR!

Susie answered the phone in her sweet calming tone
“I hear you have a termination that you can no longer postpone.”
A few questions were needed to help determine severance pay,
“Let’s discuss discipline used to reduce our risk on d-day”

“How ‘bout verbal, written and escalating memos galore?
I’m sure you used suspension and told Paul we can’t take this no more!
How ‘bout coaching, meetings and a performance improvement plan?
You better have this all documented from the moment this behavior began!”

Paul’s Manager hung up the phone and was scared out of his mind
HR had made him believe that dismissal was the end of mankind!
The termination was scheduled after hours of debate,
Paul’s end of employment was an inevitable fate.

Paul’s Manager came in early to prepare for the meeting that day
The difficult conversation repeating in his head like a slow-motion replay.
Paul showed up late, as we had all come to expect,
When his Manager came over a nervous energy Paul did detect.

They went into the private room where Susie was waiting
The decision was made; this was no time for debating.
Paul had a seat, while his Manager took a deep breath,
He was nervous and shaking; scared half to death.

“I’m sorry Paul but today we have bad news
Unfortunately things aren’t working out and your job you must lose.”
Paul walked out of the room and the door he did slam
Paul said “you will never find an employee as great as I am!”

Let this be a warning to all those who think that they are immune
A termination in your office could occur almost any afternoon!
So here is the advice that we leave with you all
“Stop acting like an ass or you’ll end up like Paul”

What makes a great HR person...really?

If you say they must be "a people person" or that they must like people I'll choke. We all know that liking people is not on the top of the necessary attributes list for an HR professional. It should probably be more like a 'healthy respect for the bizarre nature of the human race'!

What about the need for a great HR person to have the CHRP designation? What about that? Many of us, even those that don't have an iota of experience in the HR trenches, have that designation. So that credential is questionable at best.

I had an insightful HR Director once who always looked for someone with "chutzpah" (a yiddish term - the quality of audacity for good or for bad; describing someone who has over-stepped the boundaries of accepted behaviour with no shame; pronounced a bit like "hootspah" but with a little more phlegm in the back of the throat!). Now, that's starting to sound a bit more like it.

I know that we all look for someone that has the same values as our own Company's values. But what else? What are the things you look for in a great HR person?

Top 10 Reasons Why HR Sucks!!

Yes, I know....How could one of our own write this??? These are some of the HR pet peeves that unpluggedHR finds challenging about our own kind!! According to a recent study only 4% of organizations rate their internal HR department as "first-rate." Perhaps some of the common characteristics listed below explain why.

Open for discussion. What do you think? Do you disagree?? Are these common characteristics you find exist within the HR community? Why haven't we made the change - the business clearly wants us to???

1. For the last 10 years we have been talking about being a “strategic business partner” and having a “seat at the table.” Enough talk already – if this was actually happening, we wouldn’t need to talk about it anymore!!




2. Our top resume highlight is how we developed a policy manual on how to develop HR policies.




3. We hide behind best-practice, policies and procedures and don’t use our own God-given common sense to provide reasonable solutions that focus on good business results




4. We won't even consider supporting a termination unless there have been 3 verbal warnings, 4 written memos and a suspension on file regardless of the individual situation




5. We work in isolation to come up with all the answers for the business because we know best (Aren't there two sides to partnership???)




6. We like complicated fancy tools and high-powered technological HR solutions that the business doesn’t have time to learn and let's be honest....they don't understand how this actually adds value to their world




7. We keep secrets from the business and buddy-up to defend employees without even recommending that the employee talks to their own Supervisor. This must be where the whole "knowledge is power" thing comes from!




8. We forgot how to use common sense. Sad, but occasionally true!




9. We attend HR “Networking” events that are organized and run by consultants who are there to feed us with their point of view (smart tactic to ensure we are talking about them instead of real business issues)




10. We create 4, ten page documents with 3 appendixes and 6 pie charts to communicate a basic change about employee expense guidelines. It's called simple people - let's try it occasionally!

Motivating Employees

I'm a compensation manager. My first two jobs out of school were with traditional companies who are celebrating their centennial in 2009. In both of these companies, and in most other large companies in the world, what we have done in HR is rein-in employees by putting a nice, clean box around how to get people to do exactly what we need them to do. If we can add a calculation, strict pay incentive rules and lots of formulas tied to water-tight SMART objectives, we've succeeded in controlling our employees, and keeping them in their (our) nice little box. We call this "best-practice". Have a look at the video below and think about how this applies to your organization:



Our best-practice approach isn't going to work for much longer, and it severely butts heads with the way the brains of our future workforce (generation Y) are wired. What are some steps we can take to breaking the molds that we find many of our companies shaped to? Is it broken?

Social Media implications for HR

Social Media (Facebook, twitter, blogging, shutterfly, flickr, etc.) has a huge following. With so much people-attention and time focused on this activity, the future of HR will be impacted. That impact may in some cases be dealing with employee abuse of these sites, but we need to look beyond that at the potential these tools have to increase the productivity of our companies.
The video below gives an entertaining overview of social media and its power. What does the future (and the present) look like for social media in the HR Profession? We're looking for comments on:
How do we think this will change the future of HR?What are the challenges and benefits of having Social media in the workplace?How could we leverage tribes to contribute to employee learning, development and engagement?Is anyone currently using social media for a net-positive impact?