March 23, 2017

Human Resources has developed and evolved over the past decade.  It started out as Personnel (which some people still refer to it as), but as the climate of business changed so did the role of Personnel.  It has become more than just a department for “employee assistance”.  It has turned into a department that is not only there for the employees’ wellbeing but also to provide guidance and support to the business.  It emerged to become Human Resources, or Human Capital Management, and then the words Business Partner started being used within our department as well.

In order for Human Resources to be seen as a true value added department we need to change and make companies and business owners see us as Partners.  To not only develop, advise, guide and provide support to the employees but also extend that to the business owners as well.

Human Resources is sometimes seen as the “NO” department or as a nice-to-have in some companies.  Very rarely do business owners and COO/Presidents see Human Resources as a Business Partner that can aid in changing, developing, and influencing the culture in a company.  The goal is to assist with the change management that needs to take place in an organization to really influence the company as a whole.  Sometimes Business Owners fail to realize our importance in a company; they fail to see that we are here to not only serve the employees, (our clients) but to also protect, and provide guidance to the business.

Human Resources is a valuable business partner that touches every part of an organization.  We know everything that is going on in the business; we know the issues, we know the weaknesses, we know how to correct issues, and provide the business with a plan to reinvent them.  Human Resources is no longer just the “employee advocate”. We now have to be more than that.  While we have to think about what is in the best interest of the employees, we also have to consider what is in the best interest of the company as a whole.  We have to develop processes, procedures, policies, training programs, technology resources, benefits, and other tools in order to develop the company as a whole.  However, we also have to consider what will work in our organizations, such as what will fit and what might have to be adjusted to fit our organizations.

Not all programs are one-size fits-all, and not all organizations can provide a work from home policy or a flexible schedule program.  We as Human Resource Business Partners need to look at the whole picture and analyze how these programs will impact our day-to-day business operations.  While these programs work well for some companies, they may not work well for others.

Being a Human Resource Business Partner involves looking at everything, considering all options, and then making the right recommendations to the Executives by giving them all the information (the good and the bad) so they can make an educated decision.  However, we also need to be flexible in situations and need to learn that, even though we might have a good point supported by evidence and laws, sometimes Executives just don’t get it and will assume a risk regardless of what advice we give.  To that point we as Human Resource Professionals need to find a way to make it work and to protect the company in the process.

Human Resources is ever changing so we need to ride that wave of change moving into the future to keep us relevant, while adding value to the company.  We are a big part of the fabric of a company and the more we can prove that to the COO/President and Executives, the more chance we will have in driving true change and bigger value in every Company.