hrmtraits-blog

[hrmtraits-blog]

Roles of an HR manager - it’s not that easy anymore!

What the heck are we going to do? People seem to expect more and more from HR managers! Luckily, we have the following roles classified by Ulrich, so that we know how different HRM practices can lead us to better organisational performance and CSR.

Administrative expert: You are machine of the company. All the “admin stuff” related to performance, training are in your hands. You are the one who determine who is performing and who is not. (setting performance indicators) You monitor results and ensure your comrades are reaching their highest potential.

Employee Champion: You develop the CSR culture that everyone has been talking about. You engage with employees and identify weaknesses within the company. Your colleagues know you will always have their back, which they in turn, will engage back with a positive attitude.

Strategic Business Partner: What the hell? I have to be align my HR plans with the boss? Sadly, yes. But as you continue on the road to develop new strategies for CSR and slowly, slowly, you have integrated the strategy so well, your boss realized your value, thus you finally rest among one of the greats of the organization.

Change agent: It’s a catastrophe at the company. People are so toxic that their saliva literally burns your skin. You, however, have the “honor” of getting tasked by your boss the job of transforming the culture to a more positive one. You initiate a plan of action, ready to battle the toxic snakes for more CSR around the company.

[hrmtraits-blog]

Corporate Social Responsibility - what’s it all about these days?

HR managers probably would have the CSR as the last thing on their priority list. I agree, but doing a bit here and there can just help the organization running. Like adding a bit of gas every now and then to the fuel tank.

There are three spheres of CSR activity:

Internal Professional

This sphere takes us beyond just legal obligations. We want to look at people with social disadvantages and offer them a helping hand in traditional HR functions, like recruitment and performance management.

For example, “returnships” are fantastic way to help people return to work after extended breaks, especially for mothers and backpackers. Giving them a springboard to get back into the workforce would be a huge boost.

Another example would be an appropriate living wage. Payroll, to be honest, isn’t that much of an exciting task. However, even complying with the minimum wage in many countries does not constitute an appropriate wage. “Living wage” means that the salary covers the standard of living locally. HSBC, Unilever are accredited in the UK as “living wage firms”, which is basically hanging “We pay well, guys!” over their heads.

Category: Individual Employee

Internal Cultural

The next sphere is the responsibility of HR managers creating a culture of CSR. This depends on a couple of factors. The nature of the industry, leadership, size, sector are all things that have to be considered when creating the CSR culture. For example, a leader like Richard Branson has quite the unique ethos, thus it is the HR department to create a culture around it.

In this sphere, communication is key. HR managers must engage with employees and stakeholders, putting their point of values across, creating systems for monitoring and reporting, and a code of conduct. Clear demonstration of ethics will prevail.

When it comes to whistle blowing (the act of exposing unethical practices to media/regulatory bodies), the HR department has to create protection strategies for people who choose to step forward. Examples include the US government, who gives an upwards of 3.7 million dollars to whistle blowers. This is vital, as companies may “rain hell” upon employees who reveal unethical behaviors in the company.

Category: Group of Employees and Stakeholders

External Professional

This is where things start getting complicated. International companies may encounter clashes of culture and values as they operate in other nations. Where do we draw the line for acceptable behavior?

Facing the external environment, many Multi-National Companies have befallen to bribery/corruption in Asia, with scandals coming from places like Bangladesh and rural China all the time. It is very weird that organizations start forgetting about human rights and OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) when they go somewhere else, like when people start cheating on their spouses when they go on vacation.

A good way to prevent this, is to create industry codes and monitoring mechanisms. Boring policies might actually work in these situations. It’s like creating a timetable for procrastinators. Also, in training, HR managers could give a list of questions for employees, so that every time they do something, they would ask themselves, “Does this trouble my conscience? Does this respect human life? Is this even legal?” 

To engage more with community, employee volunteering is a great way to get your name out there and carve that positive corporate image. Many companies pay employees to go to charitable events, and get a big banner and post images of the event all over the internet.