|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
HR Departments: Making Structure Make Sense
| Guest post by: Donna Flagg |
Article Overview: Human Resource departments are not being optimized because of the way they tend to be structured. Usually “HR” refers to things like benefits, payroll, hiring, firing, training, reviews, compensation and the like. But we in corporate America missed the opportunity to better organize Human Resources when it moved away from its roots in “Personnel.” But not to worry. It's not too late.
 |
Free Download - The Difference Between Managers and Leaders is A Lot & Not Much By Donna Flagg |
HR Departments: Making Structure Make Sense
So far, my career has seen both sides of the “front office/back office" equation. Between having walked in the shoes of sales, training, recruiting and now running my own business, I’ve come to believe that HR departments are not being optimized because of the way they tend to be structured.
Usually “HR” refers to things like benefits, payroll, hiring, firing, training, reviews, compensation and the like. But I think that we missed an opportunity to better organize Human Resources as it moved away from its roots in “Personnel.” Back in the day, employees were considered an expense above all. Over time though, attitudes changed as employers began to appreciate that the humans who worked for them were a resource. Suddenly Human Resources Departments were born (or Personnel Departments were renamed) and the views attached were that employees were investments and should be treated and valued like any other asset. But therein lies the rub, because remnants of the old school remain and employees are therefore still considered a liability to the extent that they are, and always will be, a major cost to the company. The problem for HR departments is that both are true. Employees are an asset and liability at the same time. So, while the understanding and appreciating of human resources has evolved into a sophisticated and strategic practice over time, its structural underpinnings have not kept up.
The best way to think about the right structure for your business is to think about the “type” of work coming out of HR and the people best suited for carry out the tasks. For the most part, the skills that individuals need to bring to the money side are not the same (in fact they are often the opposite) as those needed to do well on the warmer-fuzzier side of things where it’s all about human interaction and interpersonal skills.
The good news is that it’s an easy fix. All you have to do is take functions like benefits administration and payroll and align them with accounting because their primary implication to the company is financial and they require transactional minds to handle them best. Then, on the other hand, the people-development initiatives can make up your Human Resources Department where you can have people who excel at building relationships, creating innovative employee programs and developing talent to support your business’s goals.
Then, when it’s time to evaluate performance and make compensation decisions, the two worlds meet where the expertise is appropriately aligned to be mutually complementary and produce the best possible results for your company.
Explain Your Process
Sharing best practices company-wide
Outsource your marketing to a “Virtual Marketing Department” and set your mind at ease
Cell phones...Conveniently dangerous
The Heroes Organize Their Business
Article Tags: accounting, attitudes, benefits administration, extent, front office back office, hr departments, human interaction, human resources departments, interpersonal skills, investments, money side, old school, own business, payroll, personnel departments, remnants, roots, shoes, underpinnings
|
About the Author: Donna Flagg RSS for Donna's articles - Visit Donna's website Donna Flagg spent over 15 years in business before founding The Krysalis Group, a consulting firm specializing in management, marketing, training and sales and their respective relationships to business results. Her management career began in sales at CHANEL, and before branching out on her own, she spearheaded a new training function within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. After earning a BA from Rutgers University and gaining experience on the front lines of Corporate America, Donna went on to attend New York University's Graduate School of Education where she obtained a master's degree in Organizational Development and Human Resource Management, and a post graduate degree in Business Education. She has also been a speaker at City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University through Stern Business School and Delta Pi Epsilon, a national honorary professional graduate society in business education and training. In addition, she speaks at various conferences including those conducted by The Business Leadership Network and The Conference Board, where she was also on the advisory committee for the Enterprise Learning Strategies Conference. For her communications expertise, Donna was invited to be a host at the Liz Claiborne Leadership Offsite to discuss branding during their "Progressive Dinner" event and more recently, a speaker at the Inc. Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX. Donna is the author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and is blogger on Pyschology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Randy Foye Foundation where she actively participates in its mission to assist children and families in Newark, NJ. Click here to visit Donna's website   A Better Way to Implement Mentoring Programs The Need for Romantic Relationship Policies Strategic HR Plans Integrating People and Business Consensus Building Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing The Difference Between Managers and Leaders is A Lot Not Much |
Related Forum Posts
Making Money in 2011
- Hello forum members! As we draw closer to the new year I thought it would be appropriate to change the title of our forum category "Making Money in 2010" to "Making Money in 2011" - I'm looking forward to some interesting discussions and wish everyone a prosperous New Year!
Re: Quote of the Day - "The only people witho
- Thanks for sharing this Evan, there are some very powerful quotes in there, I particularly like this one:-
You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.
regards,
Mal.
Re: Top Banner Help
- Evan, don't take my feedback offensively please.
1) The top banner looks great on my 22" lcd, but most people still uses 1024x768 as their desktop resolution. Making the banner look really big.
2) Maybe a message like "Get answers from the experts. Become a FREE member now!" would attract more people to register.
3) The home page. I have the forum as a bookmark on my browser, but every time I have to go to the home page I feel like if I'm in outer space, it's not very easy to find things (and I'm a web dev). I would highly recommend you a total reface of your home page, use the colors and layout so that it's easy to use and it matches the style of the forum. Make sure you keep the same file names so that way you won't loose your PR.
Just my 2 cents.
Affiliates vs selling your own material
- [quote:1w85dxq6]I will check into the few mentioned other affilliate programs, anyone have any other suggestions?[/quote:1w85dxq6]
Rather than using an affiliate (other than Google Ad Sense, which works well,at least for me) , why not write pamphlets or How to Books of your own, and sell them on your site. Then, when you get a purchase, *you* get the full purchase price, not just a small percentage, which is what you get as an affiliate...
List of a few legitimate online business
- Well My main methods to make money so far are adsense,affiliate marketing and freelancing and I think these are some more sites that can help me to make some more money.Your reviews are welcome:
::linkworth dot com>This site is awesome and offer lots of ways to make money.
::mturk dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid
::microworkers dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid
::shorttask dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid
::istockphoto dot com>sell stock photos
::eHow dot com>Make money writing
::Bukisa>Make money writing
::Associate Content>Make money writing
::Triond>Make money writing
::fiverr dot com>$5 freelancing job
::cpalead dot com>make money by completing offer
::peerfly>make money by completing offer
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: 
4 Building Blocks of an Effective Talent Management System
Simon Fuller Quotes
Lesson #3: “Tell ‘em quick and tell ‘em often”
Searching for the Stars: How Yang and Filo Took Their Business to New Heights
Salesperson Wimp-Out: I Need Help 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Soda Vending Machine = Energy Hog
Winning Market Share in a Tough Economy
How do I finance a franchise?
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.