Ask anyone in your organization who is not a part of the human resource function what they think of HR implementing strict and non-negotiable policies on their team, and it is likely the response will not be all too positive.
Human nature determines us as beings who on the whole respond negatively to strict guidelines and rules, especially those who are at a point in their career where they are responsible for a significant part of the workforce or the business.
With this in mind, HR experts need to operate under a humanity over bureaucracy principle!!
Working to understand and help people with employees needs in mind rather than just forcing new programs on employees whether they like it or not. Human resources must be strategic in their approaches.
A study by The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory states that;
the bureaucratic model is hierarchical and relies on personnel specialists to manage the human resource function. It limits the amount of discretion available to line managers who might introduce inconsistency or favoritism into the system
This can significantly impact the performance of the business, as managers are reluctant to take steps out of the box for fear of ramifications from people management teams.
Policies that are too board or too strict WILL isolate the department from the rest of the organization, which is damaging to the relationships HR must have in order to correctly serve the needs of their employees.
It goes on to highlight how influential a strategic approach can be instead, which;
emphasizes the decentralization and devolution of authority. It seeks not uniformity but variety in personnel policies and practices.
Organizations that take control of a strategic, humanitarian method of people management need to be flexible, in terms of decision-making and the roles of employees.
This can allow individual departments with the freedom to execute their own tasks to a high level of efficiency and productivity, while also freeing up the time of HR to concentrate on issues that only they are able to deal with.
In order to capitalize on their people resource, HR must ensure they are meeting the needs of their staff through humanitarian, strategic management.
Employee wellness programs and initiatives that promote job satisfaction are components of the strategic process, while a bureaucratic HR department would just lump employees with whatever they felt like. Clearly, this is not an effective way of operating business in today’s modern world!
Almost every HR department is fluent in implementing strategies concerning their employees, but how many are keen to develop strategies that govern their own employee management tactics? Think New World Of Work!!
Consider whether your current approach is really people-focused, or if it is purely intended to benefit the business itself, regardless of what the employees need.
The function of HR has changed over recent years, and the department has to work as an intrapreneurial team and less like the traditional personnel-focused function. HR cannot lose sight over its original purpose (remember that one?!), and allow employee freedom where possible.
© New To HR