HR professionals are human engineers. They are supposed to be expert in people motivation, fear and engagement. Their policies must be aligned to organization need and goals. Based on specific organization culture or politics, they mould their policies. We are seeing almost all organizations have chosen to benchmark polices of leaves, gender laws, diversity, events, or organization structure or levels.
For an outsider (other than HR professional) like me, many of their decisions look strange.
- Bell curve: Fitting all human in a bell curve is a tedious task for any manager. Bell curve is good for statistical purpose. Do we need to put it on human behaviour or result? Is it not the violation of basic law of nature? HR demand real time result but reward is one time only. Bell curve season is on. Most managers are terrified by reaction of juniors. In a mature organization, where employees have work experience of more than 10 yrs in same department or organization. It is very – 2 difficult to fit the curve and keep people happy. Good part is our memory. We forget everything in 2-3 months, but scars remain in heart.
- Hiring Defects: At the name of need and unavailability, they hire any incompetent person. And then they try to fit him in organization in different roles. Hiring accuracy or efficiency could be key measure of HR function. Selling incompetent person can do big damage. Hiring is like a marriage. Mistakes are possible. It should be rectified then just adjusting.
- Cleaning Job : At home, we do cleaning daily/weekly/monthly to keep home updated. I understand human are difficult to hire and fire. Certain human touch needed. However, some people need immediate clean up. We can’t carry weakness longer. A team is only as strong as its weak link. HR function should evaluate the weakest link on regular basis.
- Salary distribution: People who are closest the power centre get maximum money. People with lowest salary has maximum struggle. They know weakness of organization well. HR in any company is too apprehensive about hike in their salary. Infosys Narayan Murthy took exception on this issue when salary of very few were hiked at the cost of low paying staff. Very few CEO take this exception. Low paying staff is most hardworking. Some basic threshold needed for them to perform better.
- Process focus than people focus: People touch is missing in new evolving HR function. Event management is regular stuff now. Knowing people by their name or their family or their pains are human touch for me. In large organization, it is difficult. Tough it is needed.
HR function will change in coming era of social media. Engaging people for transaction is new challenge. People and values are backbone of any organization. People are backbone of any organization or team. HR people are their care centre, catchers, guide, and motivators in good or bad times. Need of hour is real time performance management and reward. I have non HR background, telling my review about them.