I’m in the News(paper)

I was interviewed (via email) for a story about me in a lifestyles/cooking/recipe section of a local newspaper.  Be sure to check out the link to the chocolate cheesecake.

http://www.heraldextra.com/momclick/recipes/article_e2eaedc6-1239-11e0-95d6-001cc4c03286.html

What/How Much to Share w/ Management

How much of what an employee shares with their trusted HR Manager/Director should HR reveal to management? (Assuming nothing that was shared was illegal …)  An earlier post posed the question of  ”What is the role of HR, employee advocate or management advisor?”  This post is similar.  Employees should probably be able to feel like they can unload or vent to someone at the company regarding things that they don’t perceive as going how they think they should, and if HR runs and tattles everything they hear to management, the employees will soon learn to distrust HR, and say no more.  On the other hand, if HR hears something that they think management really should be aware of – and keep it to themselves, then management can’t address the concern.

So what do y’all think? Post your feelings here in a comment.

Are Humans a Resource? (HR’s Role?)

I guess I’m in Human Resources because I really do believe humans are more than a “resource” for organizations to use like so much equipment or building space. We recently held our company Christmas party, I was responsible (aren’t most HR shops?) Luckily, I had a ton o’ help and supportive management; I think a lovely time was had by all.  One thing this party re-emphasized to me is that a company is great because of its people. While some may posit that a company is great because of their products, their technologies, their strategies, etc. I would remind: Who makes and markets those products? People. Who creates and refines those technologies? People. Who determines and executes those strategies? People.

HR professionals will invariably find themselves at one point in their career or another walking a tightrope, making some fine judgment calls, when in cases of dispute to support the employee or management.  One role HR has been cast in is “employee advocate”.  This role is an especially tenuous one, since the HR Manager/Director doesn’t work for the employee; they work for management. While many HR functions exist to support of the employee, such as benefits and parties, the bottom line is that HR exists in an organization to primarily serve management, to provide management advisory services in those classic functions of attracting, motivating and retaining employees. Companies don’t provide those fringe benefits out of the goodness of their hearts; they do it to be competitive; to attract and retain.

So how do YOU see HR’s role?  Who do YOU think HR works for – employees or management?