Stuck In HR!

So you wanted to be in HR ever since college and now you’ve finally landed your dream job in some well reputed organization. But now that you’re into it, you find that your daily tasks are performed in the same manner as they‘ve been done for ages. Your personal role is limited and, sometimes, you feel that HR doesn’t have a considerable role in the company’s main agendas. If they prioritize, HR Issues always come second when it boils down to deciding the future strategy for the company.

In these situations most HR professionals look to other – mostly senior people or those who have authority to look into HR stuff and show direction. They don’t think of taking the initiative, because doing so would be equivalent to challenging the status quo. It’s common not to think of doing things or saying things that would put the other person in a slightly uncomfortable situation, especially when the other person is more powerful or senior. We avoid this because we want to avoid the hassle of explaining and defending our point of view. So we end up doing the same things without changing a bit and we also keep on feeling sorry for ourselves that we chose this field. We put all the blame for things not being worked out the way they should on higher management, but we don’t realize that it’s us, the HR professionals, who have specialized in the field and who should bring about change.

Unlike what most people think, being an HR Professional is a challenge. This is especially true for a workplace in Pakistan where HR is still evolving and where most of the HR practices don’t meet the standards of what others consider best practices. I’m not talking about MNCs that surely follow popular international practices. I’m talking about companies that are big enough in size while still being at a developmental stage where they are unsure about accepted HR philosophies and practices.

So for all those people who think that they have HR inclinations in them but also think that HR is dull , boring or that there is no thrill and competitiveness in the field … you are mistaken. This is actually an opportune time to make your mark, as you have a big playground in front of you to play in. For example, how many “certified” OD professionals do we have out there …and what effort is going into developing psychometrics in the South Asian context. I can’t see any. What we typically cite are western studies carried out according to their norms and culture. For that matter, I can’t even find HR professors in universities who have concrete industry experience and who can present unique case studies developed in a Pakistani perspective. Recently, a well known telecom’s HR head in Pakistan got notice for criticizing and proving that certain agile work models are not possible. When are we going to come out of the stereotypical thinking that HR is supposed to keep a check on people and their work at all times? Why don’t we consider trusting them?

In my opinion, there’s a lot of excitement and fun that awaits and would welcome you if you want to walk on the path of change and the breaking of mental barriers. But it takes guts. Lots of competencies are required; even more than what you expect from an extraordinary marketer or finance person. HR professionals don’t only need to have emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills and candor, they also have to have the temperament of business leaders who have drive, ambition and a will to bring results. Of course an HR person should be empathetic and sensitive towards others, but they should also not be afraid to get confrontational when it comes to convincing business leaders regarding HR decision they believe – along with the support of logical thinking, reasoning and business data – will favor the company.

Following this path will challenge your intellectual abilities and give work to your creative sense. If you are able to streamline even one HR process and to bring it up to the level of international standards, the feeling of accomplishment is enough to push you to do more.

So my friends, HR is not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s for those who are ready to take the challenge of being a little different from the rest, who can draw the line between being empathetic and being a door mat, and who have the ability to deal with the complexity of multiple issues. All senior HR professionals that I know are strategic thinkers, with a sense of urgency and responsibility that carried them to where they are now. What they often lacked, though, is the ability to sell their ideas to other business leaders and the guts of making difficult and unpopular decisions; possibly lending credence to research showing that most HR professionals have a need to be liked. Perhaps the important lesson is determining the times you need to make some people dislike you for going in the right direction.

Roll up your sleeves! It’s time to polish some of your long forgotten abilities and start challenging, convincing and inspiring as an HR person. I guarantee that if you do, you won’t feel stuck in HR anymore. Rather, you will feel satisfied, thrilled and accomplished during the process. Happy journey!