I believe the role of human resources is changing. And I’m not talking about the transactional versus transformational conversation (also known as the tactical versus strategic discussion).
I’m wondering if the role of human resources is moving from a people department to a process function.
For decades, HR has been the people department. In fact, some companies actually call it the “people” department. Rightly or wrongly, many people entering human resources say the reason is because “they like people”.
But after hearing Dan Pink speak recently, I walked away wondering if the role of HR is process oriented. Specifically, to create processes that allow employees to become autonomous. True, people and process are related. But the focus is on process.
If this is the case, then the challenge for human resources is making sure process does not turn into policy and procedure. HR is well-known for its policy and procedure creating skills. (Please note the slight bit of sarcasm in the last sentence.)
Process can and should be a positive thing. It’s like creating a road map for getting from Point A to Point B. In order for processes to be valuable, they must be designed to empower people not restrict them. A couple things to remember when designing a process:
Determine the goal. Like most things, it’s valuable to decide the goal before starting work.
Solicit feedback from stakeholders. Get the people who will benefit involved in the discussion.
Regularly evaluate and modify the process. A process is a living thing. It shouldn’t be set in stone.
Human resources can bring value by playing the role of facilitator in process discussions. They aren’t necessarily the creator or designer (which is often the case with a policy or procedure). HR helps the company create processes that ultimately will move the organization forward.
Image courtesy of HR Bartender
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Herwig Dierckx says
Like you seem to indicate, the ‘process’ in my view cannot be the role or the goal for HR; the role can only be to get the best out of people so as to bring benefits to the company and to the people. The ‘process’, HR analytics, HR Big Data and similar buzzes are in that respect not the goal. And that’s exactly where HR is at risk; we are entering a stage where we focus far too much at the tools and tend to forget the core goal. See more on this at this short blog: http://wp.me/p3kBAr-3R
Joe Winkler says
Interesting point here, because HR has the single biggest impact on an organization’s development process. Think about how we hire: we do a position analysis, we write up the job description, we post a position (advertising), we interview, we hire. So often we have to be cautious not to let our gut influence the hire though so as not to open ourselves up to liability. Herwig is right about the goal of our role (rhyming is fun!) being people-centric but we must be process-guided. When we hire is the perfect opportunity to refine our processes across business functions, and enrich those processes by getting the right people on the bus.
Follow me on Twitter @joewinklercmu!
Blake M says
I like your take on this topic. There are so many professionals out there that believe HR is all about the human interaction, but your take on it being about the processes seems to ring a bell to me more then loving the people.
I think the human factor needs to still be prominent, but what are companies without policy and procedure when it comes to how they handle employees? That’s what HR does. That’s why HR professionals have gotten the “administrative” vibe because they’re creating processes that help the people in the organization. How many HR professionals really spend the majority of their time becoming buddy buddy with co-workers? Most of the time I have seen them a little more standoff’ish because of the legalities of everything and anything that could happen.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comments everyone!
It has been interesting to watch the response across social media to this post. Several people thought the “people” component should be first. While people are definitely important, I’m hearing more about HR bringing value by guiding processes that will help people excel.
The question for HR pros…where will we learn how to do this well?
Joe Winkler says
The discussion starts with your sentiment Sharlyn, processes should empower people not restrict them. So when we as HR “Pros” (I used quotes because I’m not there yet, but aspiring to get there!) begin thinking about the process and how it affects people, we must begin with the end in mind. What are we trying to get out of each initiative we undertake, and how will it impact our human capital? If it is creating a new position within the organization, we must understand the way a new position impacts everyone.
Where will we learn how to do this well? I think the answer is, let’s look at these blogs like hrbartender.com, and LinkedIn for (buzzword alert) best-practices. What are the truly successful companies employing via their HR departments in terms of business processes?
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Joe! Thanks for the comment and kind words.