HR Basics Matter (and why you should care)

Wow, what a week for thought-provoking posts on LinkedIn!  In case you missed them, here are links to three I found particularly interesting:

There is a lot to unpack here.  I see some common themes:

1. Company leaders still do not have an accurate perception of what HR is and can bring to an organization.

2. Not all HR experience is the same and equal.

3. There is a lot of bad HR practice going on. 

4. The imposters need to exit the building.

First, it’s surprising, and yet it’s not, that many business owners and executives truly do not understand what HR is and does.  Many still see the function as transactional and believe anyone can handle the duties and tasks.  In small businesses, it is not uncommon for the office manager, controller, executive director to also be handling the HR administration.  And as long as employees get paid, benefits are offered/utilized/bills paid, and we’re able to maintain a fairly steady workforce – all is well.  This leads to the question ‘so what else is there?’ regarding HR in organizations.  Those of us practicing in the industry know the answer is ‘a lot.’  The hard part is conveying the message of the intrinsic value of HR, not to mention demonstrating it.  For many owners and leaders, if they have no real experience with HR enhancing their business and/or if they don’t have any peers who can attest to it, they are unwilling to listen.  As a result, there is a lot of over and under hiring in HR going on right now.  Why would you pay a $150K annual salary when you can get someone for just $75K?  They both have ‘HR Director’ titles on their resumes, they should be the same right?  Wrong!  Experience is everything in HR – the type, the amount, the industry.  But if you don’t know the difference, you don’t know how to make an accurate hire for your needs. 

Since the pandemic, there has been an upswing in HR hiring, as though companies saw the value during a difficult time.  But you get what you pay for.  I am dismayed by the number of job posts I see for HR leadership positions looking for 7 years of experience.  No one with only 7 years of experience is ready to lead the function.  I also see companies bringing in heads of HR only to roadblock them every step of the way.  You cannot hire a professional with 15-20+ years of experience, ask them to build or overhaul your HR department, and then not let them do their thing.  They will not stay.  These situations happen because companies and leaders are not truly ready for the change; their egos tell them how they have been doing things is just fine.  They know best. 

Second, not all HR is the same.  Generalists, compensation analysts, recruiters, and leave administrators do not all have the exact same background, education, and experience.  There are intricacies in every specialty.  Business leaders and HR people alike need to acknowledge this important differentiation.  For instance, I am an HR generalist and definitely not a recruiter.  I do not possess the skill set that a recruiter has.  And that’s a great thing – we all can complement each other.  Use our gifts to bring maximum value to any organization.  I maintain relationships with a lot of wonderful recruiter friends to build my network.  I can make amazing referrals to my clients and vice versa.  I love employee benefits and employment law – I will be excited to run open enrollment and create a handbook.  Many of my peers would not prefer that work.  This is what makes our industry so amazing.  We need to be proud of our differences, not hide from them. 

In this same spirit, there is a lot of old school, policy-first HR practice going on out there.  When I first read the LinkedIn post shared by my friend Jess Miller-Merrell regarding how Microsoft is handling under-performing employees, my first thought was ‘that is just lazy HR.’  When I heard that employees at Amazon and Starbucks were unionizing, I was taken back.  If I was the head of HR at these organizations, I would take these actions personally.  In my mind, something is off in the HR department.  While Microsoft may have the cash available to pay off their poor performers with 4 months of severance, many organizations cannot afford to do that.  More importantly, they shouldn’t have to.  If your HR function is partnering with your front-line managers to deliver a solid performance management practice, removing poor performers should be easy.  I didn’t say it would be fun, but it shouldn’t be overly complicated.  And what about the existing high-performing employees?  I can assume they are not happy about so much money being spent on under-performing employees, especially when they are working hard every day.  When was the last time they got an increase or bonus?  Couldn’t that money be better spent?  In order for HR to be effective in any organization, the leader has to know the basics.  Full stop. 

Now, I fully acknowledge that many HR professionals are subject to golden handcuffs.  They do not have the support needed from their leadership to play a strategic role.  This is very common place.  I’m going to say that same thing I speak about during my sessions – get out.  Take those behaviors as a sign that the organization does not value its people first and foremost.  And know this – you are not going to be able to change their minds.  I have seen business owners go through Department of Labor audits, OSHA sightings, and wrongful termination lawsuits and still not learn the lessons.  Owners and entrepreneurs in particular are very easily distracted; they read a book or go to a conference and are ready to overhaul the entire company as a result.  They run toward the new, shiny thing.  Give yourself grace, preserve your mental health, and move on. 

Finally, I have to speak up about the imposters in our industry.  If you have never practiced HR in your career, please stop pretending to be a thought leader in this space.  By ‘practiced’ I mean you have never sourced a candidate, processed an FMLA claim, investigated a harassment claim, assisted a manager through a difficult termination, created an employee recognition program, and/or oversaw an entire process to select a vendor partner (HRIS, benefits, etc.)  No, this is not an exhaustive list, but please do not miss the point.  Too many people out there are running podcasts, writing books, presenting at HR events, and posing as HR experts when, in fact, they have never practiced a day in their lives.  I’m tired of it and my hard working HR peers are tired of it.  Please step aside and just stop.  And to those who are hosting said events – please make every effort to invite genuine practitioners to provide the content for your attendees.  It matters.