Human Resources 101

Frank Roche asks the question, What Kind of HR Person Are You? It’s more of a three-parter:

1. Do you believe more Theory X or Theory Y?
2. What’s your philosophical foundation for HR? Can be people be motivated at work, or is HR’s job to not demotivate?
3. What prepared you to be in HR? And what are you doing now to improve your skills?

I’m going to answer his questions in reverse order:

First off, to answer question three, I came into H.R. from I.T., via H.R.I.S. I started by maintaining databases and entering data. Once there, I took university courses in Human Resources Management. Most of what I do now in the way of personal development revolves around conferences and sessions organized by local H.R. Management Associations.

I’m going to lump questions one and two together to answer them.

My official job title is Divisional Director of Employee Relations. I have an alternate door sign that says, Divisional Director of Seriously Cool People, an idea I picked up from Tom Peters’ presentation at the Future of Talent Conference.

I use the alternate sign to remind me of three things:

1. I don’t like classifications that make employees human resources or human capital or any such thing. I don’t deal in FTE’s. Any concept that reduces people to the bottom line of a ledger sheet I leave to the accountants and bean counters.

   People are people. Whether someone is working four-hours-per-week-casual at the entry level, or full-time at the senior management level, they’re all people. They have hopes, dreams, challenges, worries, health, sickness, family, friends and more.

2. I don’t like the concept of management empowering employees. Management isn’t some sort of benevolent empowerment fairy waving a wand and saying, “by virtue of my wonderfulness as a manager, I hereby proclaim you empowered.”

   Think for a moment. What would happen if none of your employees showed up for work tomorrow? How long could your management team sustain your business without employees?

   I believe employees empower their employers. Employees empower organizations to make a profit, or deliver a service, or manufactor a product. If you have people working for you, they are the ones making your business possible.

3. You get the employees your deserve—Frank’s Theory X/Y question. If you believe employees are a necessary evil, a drain on the bottom line and taking every advantage of their employer, that’s the kind of employee you will end up with.

   If a manager can see the pontential in each employee and creates an environment that developes that potential, there’s no end to what your employees can accomplish.

As the Director of Employee Relations, I work hard to model my philosophy in the way I carry out my job. As well, I provide training, resources and climate to foster these practices among our management staff.