One Minute HR Consultant

This is a post that I struggled to write because it brings to task, so to speak, us as HR professionals.  However, at the same time, I feel a great need to share with you my thoughts on how we can actually seize and demonstrate value during this challenging economic cycle. Let me put it simple: This is a rare opportunity for HR, across the board, to add significant value and change the perception of our profession as a CRITICAL value-added function in the organization. In writing this, I thought about the ground-breaking work conducted by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid, and Dave Ulrich in their landmark work ‘The HR Scorecard”.  One of their observations is that HRM either adds value or does not (reference pg. 38, HR Scorecard). 

Any middle-ground has no significant impact.  Many of us can personally attest to this research in the real world as  organizations either put the thumb on us as merely daily tacticians or those that let us flourish.  Here is a time for us to flourish. Before revealing the Five Activities that we, as HR professionals, should be considering-undertaking, I want to share this observation:  A serious lack of judgment, conscious or not, is occurring each and every day amongst us as HR professionals that has potential dire consequences (or at least significant) to our organizations, which can set-up our organizations (and ourselves) up for failure – in some areas. As reported in the January issues of HRMag, EEOC complaints are up, training budgets are down, and complaints will be thrown our way from every angle from recruiting to talent management to outplacement and employee assistance.  These complaints will continue to rise in my view for a couple of compelling reasons: Displaced professionals are frustrated; organizations are forced to deliver on service-product quality while in many cases reducing their workforces, and employees are tense, angry, and maybe feel guilty about surviving when family members are being laid off/”right-sized”.  Of course the phrase: “It’s that dang HR function!” should be ringing in your head, for it surely will come from the mouths of many.

What can we do during these times?  Here are 5 activities that I recommend:

1) Know the business strategy and short-term plans, and how HR impacts its functional counterparts in achieving the objectives of strategic-tactical (survival) planning.  Depending on your level in the organization, the depth of your access may be limited, but at the very least find out what you can.  The reason that this is so important is because this is where you can start to develop or refine your organizational HR goals and strategies to meet our current economic climate. And no matter the function, it is going to involve, in some way, the organizational workforce.  Your relevant access to the business short term-tactical and long-term strategic goals can insure that you remain abreast of the HR/organizational opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses with a goal of being engaged and poised to answer: “What does this mean to our workforce?”  Be prepared to partner with all of your key functional counterparts.  Keep your thought process strategic, yet focused.  The end-result of this goal is to think about what it means to the existing and potential workforce.

2) Review Organizational Job Requirements/Job Description: I have “tweeted” this with my fellow HR professionals.  I sincerely believe that a good number of EEOC/AA/ADA lawsuits will originate because of unclear or irrelevant job descriptions that are not BFOQ for the organizational positions – a gap between KSAs required for the position versus an idealistic interpersonal candidate based upon personal perceptions and “wish list” skills.  The intentions are noble on the surface: Receive a qualified pool of applicants with an ideal skill set in a local labor market; however, the end result is going to be litigation in many cases – I can assure you.  What you can do is ensure that your line manager counterparts adhere to job requirements, so as not to be blindsided by frustrated employees/potential employees that will challenge the job requirements as being essential.  Do not think for one second that your organization will not be challenged during these challenging times.  Instead, expect it and be proactive.  The precedents of organizations that ignored this are of course beyond the scope of this post, but conduct your own research, reviewing SC,  CC, or even your own organization’s legal cases for those that ignored this activity at their own peril.

3) Review and Participate in Your Organization’s Outplacement/Employee Assistance Program Services.  Whether this is an internal function or outsourced, you need to take the time to participate or observe your organizational outplacement and employee assistance program services.  There is a flurry of HR legislation that is going unnoticed (or not being noticed enough) because our plates our full.  Ensure that transitioning employees are aware of legislation that impacts their benefits to include recent amendments do the FMLA and ADAAA.  Also insure that you (or the person you designate) personally observe these critical services as if you are receiving the benefit of the information provided.  Are job search strategies reflective of the latest trends?  Are you conducting robust mock job interviews?  Are employees aware of the hidden job market?  In addition, evaluate to see that information being provided reflect recent changes that have impacted benefits, for example HIPAA and COBRA.  Keep a keen eye on individuals that may fit the new broader definition of an individual with a “disability”.  Finally, what transition coping skills are your assistance and outplacement services providing?  Are alternatives to current career paths being discussed?  The list can go on-and-on, but you get my point.

4) Ensure that succession-replacement planning IS REALLY initiated and/or continues.  Succession planning is well understood in concept yet practiced very little in execution.  If there was ever a need to execute a robust and well-thought out succession plan, now is the time.  Succession planning is not about trying to make your plan fit in an HRIS requirements-delivery structure within COTS/SaaS modules.  It is about insuring your organization has a plan to develop internal talent to meet future HC requirements projected to deliver on strategic objectives – remember HRIS is the enabler not the driver.  That’s it.  It’s not as complicated as many make it out in theory.  Yet, it does involve work (serious work).  It requires that we know the business plan of our organization and take a hard look at our internal talent pool and formulate ways “to grow the workforce” to meet the requirements of our organization.  What I challenge each HR professional involved in this process to do (or at least think about) is – dig deeper than the top tier.  Our new economy will force people out of their comfort zone to stay competitive.  If we take a moment to unearth the benefits to our organizations by developing robust succession plans that reach deep into the organization, we build loyalty and create (or at least stabilize) buy-in.  When the workforce sees/feels/observes their organizations developing and nurturing their skill-set to meet organizational requirements – well, let’s just say there is enough empirical evidence to support the impact on productivity and reduction of involuntary turnover.

5) Review organizational training-development planning. We, as HR professionals, are well aware that a workforce reduction does not equate to sacrificing quality and customer service thus training and developing the workforce should still be at the top of your list, making the case for this common “HR Driver” to be put under thorough review.  Too many organizational leaders make the argument that fiscal disbursement will be focused on key activities and line managers (and us in our eagerness to ensure we are seen as “business oriented”), get to cutting without a through review of how the cuts will impact on the very thing we are trying to deliver in most cases – efficient and effective customer service and/or increased readiness to stakeholders.  The step to remember here is for us to measure the impact of a training reduction in quantifiable measures and costs.  If cutting a program outweighs the benefit of the training taking place, then it should be considered for discontinuation in the short term.  If however, the benefit of the training received outweighs the benefit of discontinuing training then the case must be made to senior leadership to possibly continue the training.  As obvious as this may sound, many of us do the tried and true method of cutting training across the board, often handicapping development and training activities that will see us through these lean times.  Yes, it requires work and does have to be stated within a business context, but this is one of our many exciting roles: To ensure that critical training is conducted in innovative, cost-effective methods despite (yet keenly aware) of the economic climate.  There are several innovative ways to deliver training that you keep that one may want to consider (again beyond the scope of this post).  A couple – I can’t help myself  on something this important – worth mentioning that can increase confidence and build buy-in: Appoint internal consultants to conduct training  where outsourcing may have occurred OR designate that core training be updated employing innovative collaboration tools (Wikipedia style) via peer platforming.  There are several ways to keep it cost effective, but on the table if need be. In the end, these activities are not all inclusive or exclusive.

The point of this post is to ensure that we are continually thinking from a business context, both in the short and long-term, about ways to increase our organizational effectiveness within the stark reality of our current economic climate .  Next, we must remain proactive and take the value to the organization vice our counterparts or supervisors requesting that we “show them the money.”  Take advantage of this challenging time to ensure that we, as HR professionals, continue to shine.