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Bi-polar Functionality
Recently I have been working all week on a thought inspired by my attendance at the ERE Expo last week. I had been thinking about the growing degree of differentiation I see in the way HR generalists and recruiters approach their work. I developed this typology on 7 types of HR Practitioner as part of that thought process. The short list looked like this
Seven types of Human Resources Practitioner
- Rockstar
- Expert
- Specialist
- Professional
- Preventer
- Placeholder
- Victim –
There is also a functional bifurcation in the profession taking place as well.
Human Resources seems to be splitting into at least two areas.
One is a legal/administrative/regulatory area that manages benefits and pay, deals with governent agencies, and responds to forces impacting the organization in a negative manner.
The other area is about interfacing directly with people in the real world, such as recruiting, labor and employee relations, compensation, and training and development along with other similar areas
Coupled with the challenging economic business climate, this development is creating fundamentally different approaches to work being done in HR. The legal/admin side is clamping down on innovative approaches and trying to throw up firewalls around the company in order to minimize risk.
The other side is striving to find new innovative ways to do things, but many times on a shoe string budget.
This creates competiton for limited resources, and establishes a conflicted dynamic inside the very organization that should be providing the best guidance and leadership during such times. Conflict tend to create factions, and getting information and support from a divided organization isn’t an optimal situation for client groups seeking help. This frustrates clients and increases the “disrespect” factor often mentioned by HR peeps.
It is up to us to change it. How do we go about doing that?
- Get clear on the mission
- Build alliance within the function, not a silo
- Stay informed on what is going on in the business, internal and external
- Put people first
- Find solutions
- Find resources or creative ways to deliver programs to clients
- Find ways to WOW them…chalenge your brain and innovate.
- practice #GreatHR
If you have ideas on how to do this, or great stories to tell about this, share them in the comments, and on Twitter with the hashtag #GreatHR.
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This is a great post Michael! It’s well thought out and insightful. I particularly like that you placed ‘Rockstar’ at the top of the list in terms of practitioners. That’s the sweet spot, and it’s where I’m trying to get to. It’s hard work but it’s worth it!
Thanks again Mike!
Twitter: MikeVanDervort
September 19, 2009 at 7:01 pm
@Victorio Good luck with getting there. It is a great place to be! And one we should all aspire to.
Michael, you’ve captured my recent moodlings perfectly. It seems there is a polarity in HR — protect the company at all costs vs. grow talent at all costs — that is at the heart of why it’s so darn difficult to become a strategic partner. Right now I believe we’ll need to separate these two goals organizationally in order to move the needle, but would be interested in hearing more of your take.
Thanks for the great post!
Great post, Michael. You are a wonderful of #GreatHR in action.
Kari : )
Great suggestions for moving towards HR Rockstar status Michael!
I’ve included your post in my weekly Rainmaker ‘Fab Five’ blog picks of the week (found here: http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2009/09/the-rainmaker-fab-five-blog-picks-of-the-week-3.html) to help my readers improve their game at work.
Be well Michael!
Twitter: MikeVanDervort
September 29, 2009 at 3:07 am
Chris, thanks for picking up the post. I appreciate it. The URL link you left had an extra character in it. Here is the correct link!
http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2009/09/the-rainmaker-fab-five-blog-picks-of-the-week-3.html#tpe-action-posted-6a00d8341c8b8b53ef0120a5a788c9970b
RT @ChrisFerdinandi: Absolutely brilliant article on the state of HR by @MikeVanDervort http://bit.ly/bb7cq #greatHR (Thanks!) #hr