Employees are wonderful

I have previously referred quite favorably to a well-known yarn first published by Fast Company, entitled Why We Hate HR.  I still think it is a great read. It hits the nail on the head in most every rickety aspect related to our dear profession.  I give it high praise and applaud its central message by weighing in with my own post, Loving to Hate Human Resources. At the conclusion of my post, however, I did promise to later say a thing or two  about published comments regarding our HR-choice in life to enter the profession in the first place.  That’s what I am doing now.  Fast Company included a few personal digs in its report  that were harmless, but perhaps a bit over the top. To the chagrin of many respected colleagues so offended, I still side with the article and implore the HR profession to see the wisdom of its message and take heed. However, there is one assertion that is entirely off base. Here is the offending comment, including a quote from one of HR’s celebrated gurus:

Others enter the field by choice and with the best of intentions, but for the wrong reasons. They like working with people, and they want to be helpful — noble motives that thoroughly tick off some HR thinkers. “When people have come to me and said, ‘I want to work with people,’ I say, ‘Good, go be a social worker,’ ” says Arnold Kanarick, who has headed human resources at the Limited and, until recently, at Bear Stearns. “HR isn’t about being a do-gooder. It’s about how do you get the best and brightest people and raise the value of the firm.”

I most definitely disagree with everything, except the last sentence. Indeed, I like the expression “raise the value of the firm.” A coin I have used myself many times for many years.  But slamming aspiring HR professionals and directing them to social work is itself a deplorable HR practice that speaks ugly to our cause. It’s dead incorrect.  Notice I did not say it was dead wrong as if a matter of ethics or personal offense.  No, this is about business– serious adult business– and tough-speak like this, as such, is incorrect. The facts follow:

A lot of  business-inspired indeed jump in to the HR profession head first “with the best of intentions” and for the right reasons as young idealists—we love people.  I am one so inspired and I will never apologize for this. Yes, I am a proud Do-gooder. What about you, Mr. Kanarick?

It is folly to demean both social work and serious business apprenticeship in one sentence because of youthful motivation to be of service to others for the goodwill of our fellows. There are few greater contributions to society than being an employer that provides jobs.  All serious business people comprehend that this is what business success is all about—people success of course– as in owners, stakeholders, customers, suppliers and, yes, employees. Moreover, passion, positive interaction, integrity, customer care and giving a hoot about the people you work with– are both business values and business skills–that drive organizational effectiveness and customer loyalty in a Do-gooder kind of way.

Changing Words.

On the other hand, it is not serious business to change words as so many HR gurus do in the name of sounding off with business-bite conviction.  Remember the old days when HR used to refer to employee morale? Now the lingo has dropped the morale thing as soft mushy personnel psycho-metrics whatever and everyone is on the engagement bandwagon.   Synonyms for “morale” include confidence, self-esteem, spirit and drive. In military jargon the word morale also speaks to unit cohesiveness. An army with good supply lines, air cover and a clear objective can be said to possess “good morale.” That sounds pretty serious to me.

Workforce engagement, meantime,  is meant to denote  commitment, dedication and a sense of connection to your work.   The business link is made with much ado about employee engagement to their jobs and the larger workplace as demonstrated by extra effort, loyalty to the company brand and reputation and the ability to speak coherently about strategy, customers and the competition.  This productive pace is realized by—you guessed it—self-esteem, spirit and drive (morale) related to the task at hand.  But engagement sounds oh so much more business-like.  So we say it.  And Do-Gooder sounds so very  un-business-like.  So we don’t say it.  Or–like Mr. Kanarick– some do say it to insult. Meanwhile morale is out of vogue altogether. For now.

Why do we make this so hard?

Of course, who cares?  Call it what you will and measure it to death as so many HR people attempt to do. Correlations are now made between company profitability and employee engagement with much hype and praise for people who demonstrate such things with their metrics–companies like Cardinal Health, for example, as so praised in the Fast Company article.  Oh yes, there are studies.  But not about morale (that’s old-school soft); but, oh yes, engagement (that’s a modern-day, firm, quantifiable metrics).  And even practical sticklers like Fast Company assert that this twist of tongue and pen is serious business.  I think not.

Why do we make this so hard?  Obviously, hiring optimistic, honest, hardworking people who keep their promises; training them well; giving them the best tools available; and offering great opportunities for these good folks to make a living and succeed—is a far better way to go than not doing those things.  Clearly, a work environment that is positive, safe, and fun to be around and that respects personal dignity—is a better place for a job than in a work environment that is not that way.  Definitely, management who get along with each other; who act in accordance with what they say; and who communicate with staff openly, frequently  and without spin—is a more effective leadership team than one not so engaged.  Basic stuff.

Wonderful people at work

These are fundamental things that great HR departments impact for the better.    And we do it well because we know business and we love people.  We think employees are wonderful. We think they work tirelessly—not for the company—but for their children.  We think most want to do a good job and we want to help them do it even better. We deplore mediocrity, laziness and entitlement and love achievement, initiative, care for fellow workers and opportunities for them to have fun, get involved with the community and help each other succeed.

We have zero tolerance for dishonesty, affronts to human dignity, unsafe conditions and violations of the Golden Rule by illegal acts.  We understand that people hate spin and just want a fair shake. We drive leadership to do right by the company by doing right by its people.  We think employees are wonderful.  My passion for personal excellence and love for humankind was peaked when I was young and first joined the HR game.  Through all the ups and downs ever since that conviction has been challenged only by bad business, never good business; only by ineffectiveness, never effectiveness; only by incompetence, never wisdom. In the end my love for this profession–my high morale–my engagement–my Do-gooder work– has resulted in material gain for my employers and clients.  And it has been most rewarding because my idealism has never been tarnished. I still think employees are wonderful.  I still have the passion.

If that’s Do-gooder pontification then so be it. It is good business no matter what you call it.