Raging Against SHRM Isn’t Solving HR’s Problems

One of the things I’ve noticed since I started blogging is that a lot of bloggers like banging on SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management for the uninitiated or uninterested). When you’re talking about an organization that represents more HR people than any other organization, they are going to be fair game. And when SHRM speaks as the voice of HR politically, there are going to be disagreements as to what they are doing right and wrong.

Most of the criticism I’ve read about SHRM has been fair. There are some that expect SHRM to move the moon and the stars but those people are few and far between. Some of the criticism has been directed at their political activities and their educational pursuits for HR professionals. My criticism is that they haven’t been a player in bringing HR into the 21^st century.

Despite criticism, SHRM has and is doing some good things. Laurie had a great perspective on it that I don’t feel the need to repeat. But they are going to follow their own agenda, the one where they believe they are going to move their organization forward in the best possible way. Many times, that is going to align with HR professionals. Other times, I would argue that it is more for SHRM’s benefit than the HR profession’s benefit.

With all of those facts laid out, what value are you as an HR professional getting out of raging against SHRM? Being a man of action, I simply believe there are better things we can be working on besides hating on SHRM. There are two basic routes that I think are more productive than just writing about how bad SHRM is:

The first option is you work hard within SHRM to make it better. You stop sitting back and being a passive complainer about the way things are and start trying to make it better. A great example of this method is Sharlyn Lauby. She is willing to get her hands dirty and put in the time necessary to make a real impact there. There are other people of course but she is a good example of that because she is moving SHRM in the direction I would love to see.

The second option is you work hard outside of SHRM to create or support the type of people and organizations that can help you achieve what you want. This is the way I’ve chosen to operate (full disclosure: I am not a member of SHRM so I am biased). Some see this as an anti-SHRM approach but I see it as simply an independent way of doing things (that also includes supporting SHRM when they are doing things right). The downside is that you’re responsible for your own education, networking and other things that SHRM was providing to you.

I’ll be honest, that second option hasn’t been such a bad thing. If I am dumb about law changes or pending legislation, I only have myself to blame. If I am missing out on best practices, I need to be more plugged in with my peers. It adds a new level of accountability when a few others in the field use SHRM as a crutch for ignorance.

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about cases where SHRM was failing HR and making a big stink about it. Now I use that time to align with SHRM when it makes sense to me and make progress in education, networking and political advocacy outside of the organization when it makes sense. Which option are you choosing?

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