In the past, the human resource department was often viewed as the paper-pushing, policing and hiring/firing arm of a company. While these tasks still remain important
in order for businesses to run efficiently, the
character of many HR departments is changing with the times, says Kenyon Mau, training
consultant with Corporate College, based in
Cleveland, a training center for businesses in
Northeast Ohio.
“Human resource professionals, by necessity, are becoming more customer-centered,”
says Mau. “They are becoming employee
advocates, trainers, recruiters, coaches and
consultants to management.”
Smart Business spoke with Mau about
why this change occurred and how business
owners and CEOs can best utilize the HR
department to recruit and retain employees.
Why is the role of HR changing?
In the past, people stayed with companies
longer — sometimes for their entire careers.
So, the role of HR consisted of form-filing,
record-keeping and generally depersonalized
tasks to keep employees records and payments orderly. Many HR departments in
companies still operate this way. However,
the trend is to better utilize the HR personnel
to interact more with employees and their
concerns and problems.
This trend has happened for three reasons.
First, many companies have — out of economic necessity — ‘flattened’ themselves,
creating less layers of departments, so fewer
people are around to do this kind of employee-counseling work. Second, HR departments have become more efficient because
of technology. Lastly, the hiring environment
today is very competitive, so HR often needs
to step in to help recruit and retain talent.
What kind of skill sets do HR managers need
in order to effectively step into this new role?
Human resources personnel need to be
some of the more versatile employees of a
company. They not only have to be completely computer-savvy with systems and
databases to track employee information,
but they also must have many soft skills to
interact with employees. The HR manager also must be willing to take a leadership role
in implementing changes in a corporate culture. These people skills and leadership skills
are paramount for a HR manager to be able
to recruit and retain employees.
How can HR managers have an influence on
lessening the impact of the talent shortage in
their companies?
The first person in a company a prospective
employee meets is most likely the HR manager; the attitude of the HR manager toward
the candidate can make or break the candidate’s decision to work for a company.
In the past, HR and hiring managers had a
‘what can you do for us’ attitude with job candidates. In this new talent-shortage environment, businesses that are successful in
recruiting are asking prospective employees:
‘What can we do for you?’
This paradigm shift is important for several
reasons. First, the generation that is coming
into the work force now has a very different
take on work than the previous post-WWII
generation; members of this generation don’t
expect to stay at a job for the duration of their
careers. Many of them know that there are
plenty of opportunities at the moment and,
therefore, tend not to be as loyal as their
predecessors, and many expect companies
to offer life-balance benefits, such as flex-time, telecommuting, etc.
The conversation that needs to happen
between the HR manager and the prospective employee is very different than the conversation in the past. It is more of a two-way
conversation and a partnership.
What is one question an HR manager could
ask a potential candidate that would reflect
that shift in attitude?
One question an HR manager who is
screening potential candidates could ask,
along with the other important interview
questions, is, ‘What will get you up in the
morning, other than a paycheck?’ Listen very
closely to the answer. The answer is very
important because it reveals motivation. That
answer could range from feeling engaged,
being creative, making a difference, having
good co-workers, getting good training, etc.
This information could then be passed on
to the hiring manager, who could then implement some kind of a goal and incentive plan
if the candidate is hired.
How could the HR manager help to not only
recruit but also retain employees?
The No. 1 reason people leave jobs is not
financial, but because of conflicts with managers. The HR person can be instrumental in
helping resolve conflicts by acting as mediator and counselor. The employee often will
not go to the manager with concerns but will
go to the HR department for guidance.
The troubling fact is that if an employee is
not happy, he or she will leave — and will do
it in a heartbeat because there are ample
opportunities elsewhere. But, an employee
will think twice about leaving if the business
cares about the employee’s concerns and is
willing to take some kind of action to help
create a better work environment. That is
where the HR department can step in to fill
that gap and help influence retention.
KENYON MAU is a training consultant with Corporate College,
www.corporatecollege.com, based in Cleveland, which offers
employers affordable, cutting-edge and custom-designed training
programs to enhance future work force development, job growth
and job retention in Northeast Ohio. Reach Mau at (216) 987-2925 or [email protected].
