What I Like about HR

So here is the deal...we are the gatekeepers to the exceptions to policy. What do I mean by that? Too often I hear HR professionals get worn down by the fact that they:

1. Have to enforce policies

2. Have to explain policies to people

3. Have to explain policies to the people who are SUPPOSED to be enforcing those policies

I am sure there are more but they all tend to revolve around those three concepts.

The reason I LIKE HR is that while we are the caretaker and often creator of these policies we are most often the judges of when we make exceptions to those policies. I think many of you forget that often our nagging about precedent can create a fear among leaders that will override their sense of what is RIGHT for fear of hurting the company. You can be the most amazing policy crafter of all time and you will never be able to cover 100% of the circumstances that may arise among your employees.

Create trust in your managers so that when they feel like someone is being treated unfairly or a miscarraige of justice has occurred they come to you and talk about it. THAT is the kind of counselling I like to do.

Live for these exceptions, learn to encourage people to talk to you about when and when not an exception is apropriate. This is where the leadership comes in. This is also how you begin to give confidence to your managers on interpreting these policies themselves...and hopefully being proactive in the success of their employees.

The goal is not to have a policy that covers 100% of circumstances...neither is it for us to be the moral and ethical arbitor of the workforce...the goal is to interpret you organizations values into a common sense and fair set of policies and train your managers to look at them critically and know when the VALUES and the POLICIES do not coincide.