Monday, May 25, 2015

Digital Master Tuning #90: Is HR Sustainable

There is never one piece that makes the wheels of an organization spin. HR has to be more connected to the business needs.
In the industrial era, both IT and HR operated as a support function only, and struggle at the surviving mode with reputation as a cost center; at digital age, this two functions are the “steward” of the most invaluable assets of organizations, people and information. They both have opportunity to play a pivotal role in organization's digital transformation. From talent management perspective, is HR sustainable, to become an investment center of Human Capital?


HR is an integral and sustainable part of every organization. Despite the increasing move to technology based recruiting methods, training programs, human beings still work for organizations. Human beings still need managing, training, meditation, coaching, counseling, benefits administration and a myriad of other functions coming from the HR office. It is the one department that upholds the ethics, integrity and values of the company. There will always be a need for an engaged and productive workforce that creates paths for true leadership. In this sense, HR is sustainable. Technology can not duplicate the efforts. HR's role is transforming to maintain sustainability by providing a great voice at the C level. It helps its employees through personal and work related issues. It celebrates its successes and helps to build a company up through its downfalls. Technology cannot replace the personal touch that an HR associate brings to the table.


HR has been led with the same level of robustness expected of other functional leaders: Either being strategic, technical and engaging, HR has to capture the digital trends and become more innovative. However, some HRs don’t feel like it had a voice, or believed there was room for a voice, whether part of the answer layed in the personal effectiveness, or potency, of the head of HR - no matter how strategic or technical they were, there are other factors, ranging from culture to individual personalities and mixed perceptions of HR that exist in a business. But if the head of HR struggles to engage their manager, or connect with their peers, then it's likely there will always be speculation about the effectiveness, impact or sustainability of HR.


The transactional piece of HR vs. the  transformational part -the"art of HR": Although the transactional pieces can be a nuisance, it also provides an intuitive HR person with insight to what is going on in the organization; commonalities amongst groups or individuals, analytical data that helps you spot trends within the organization. Most HR professionals began in the transactional role, and the reason for it is because it provides a person with a good background in understanding the organization and its employees. It then allows one to begin providing strategic insights and understanding workforce planning, talent management and organizational development. 

Forward thinking organizations already have HR at the table; to all HR professionals who continue to struggle to validate their worth - you need to keep learning, keep achieving, and keep solving problems. You can't crawl into a corner and feel sorry for ourselves; you must take responsibility for the professional value and earn respect. HR has to be more connected to the business needs. There is never one piece that makes the wheels of an organization spin. Utilizing the available resources, people, technology, consulting partners, etc. to provide for the business current and future needs to be part of a systematic process. All companies are profit driven; HR must understand this to influence the decision makers. HR must be presented a source of human capital investment, and then happy and better informed employees will produce more efficiently, not being fragile of change, but be a champion of change for the advancement of the organization.

Digitalization is like a flywheel, and Digital Masters are the one riding above it. Surf more Information about Digital Master:

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