September 26, 2018

By Lindy Earl

My first job out of school was in Administration.  Before that it was called Personnel. Today that same office would be called Human Resources, or HR.  We are seeing a move to titles such as Talent Management.

The title may change, but the job, the work, the tasks all remain the same.  Sadly, I think too many people are missing the point.

First, let me make an analogy.  For years companies had Sales Departments.  Sales jobs were clearly defined.  Then, in the 80’s, suddenly everyone had Marketing Departments.  The challenge, however, was that the term Marketing was being misused.  Nobody was fooled.  The Sales Reps remained Sales Agents, but with a new title.  It just added confusion, because Marketing is, and should be, its own Department.  Now Sales Reps are given the title of Business Development.  Okay.  It doesn’t change their job.

I like the title Human Resources, because that’s how we should see people, as resources.

In the olden days, only a little over a hundred years ago, the US was an agrarian society.  We had farmers who grew their own food and enough to sell.  Because farming is a labor-intensive job, especially before automation and some powerful machinery, a lot of labor was needed.  Yes, it could be hired out, but it was often home-grown as well.  Families had lots of children, and those children worked on the farm.  Our ancestors understood human resources!  They raised them, fed them, took care of them, taught them, encouraged them, trained them . . . whatever it took to make them the best workers they could be.

Are we seeing that with Human Resource Departments today?  In some cases, yes.  There are great companies that pay for continued education and training.  Sadly, I found in my life that while this was offered ahead of time, there were so many restrictions on what and how that the benefit was rarely used.  Still, other companies do make this available.

I don’t see promotions from within as often as I did a generation ago.  The line used to be, It pays to stay.  Is that still true?  Now we see people jumping companies in order to increase pay and get ahead.

Attrition, losing employees, is expensive.  It costs less financially, as well as in terms of time and emotion (yes, there are emotions involved with every hire and fire), to keep your employees rather than having a revolving door for employees.  In addition to the costs, the reputation of such companies is hurt.

I know of a large company headquartered in Atlanta whose (silent) motto is, “Nobody retires with us.”  They bring in talented employees, use them for 3-5 years, then send them packing.  Their goal is to pay zero of the pensions they offered upon hiring.  It is a lousy scam, yet the company remains successful.

So, in a world of limited resources, what’s the best thing to do?  Take care of what you have!  Have you ever noticed that owners take much better care of a home than renters?  It’s true!

So, let’s invest in our human capital.  That’s not an ungracious way of thinking of our employees.  We need to ensure that our employees are growing – are their needs met?  Are they sufficiently challenged but not overwhelmed? What needs to be done to encourage and help them grow?  What resources do they need to be the best employees, thus workers, thus people who output great work, that they can be?

Some people need nothing more than a desk and a chair.  Others require social stimuli.  Others need food.  Human Resource Management is difficult because people are difficult.  You can’t be all things to all people, but you can do some basic research and learn what you can provide that will satisfy the needs and wants of many of your employees.

Things as simple as flex time can be the difference between attracting a fabulous versus a mediocre employee.  It literally costs you nothing, and when employees work at the times of day that are best for them, output increases.  It’s a win-win, so why isn’t it offered more often?

There are a plethora of opportunities for every company, with or without an HR Department, to improve their employee relations.  Of course I am going to suggest hiring a coach like me, who is there (occasionally) for the sole purpose of making employees, thus companies, more successful.  Institute some employee benefits that your workers desire. Beyond that, think outside of the box to create a great working environment for your team.  Human Resources done well will make a huge impact on your company.

Lindy Earl is a Speaker, Consultant, and Writer.  To invite her to speak at your organization or firm, or ask about Consulting options, please contact her at LMEarl@EarlMarketing.com.