How to look after HR, with some DIY

If we shine a light on our dear colleagues in HR it may just reveal a powder keg of emotions, loneliness, and the unfortunate feeling of ineffective decision making. A study by AHRI has uncovered interesting stats to show HR personnel is in a struggle, more than before, through the recent lockdown period. They are acutely overworked, highly stressed, with the average HR professional at work for more than 12 hours extra per week!

On top of the 'business-as-usual' charge of staff wellbeing and culture, there is now the analysis, transposition, and integration of new government policy to tend with. They are also pivotal in the weekly workshop to formulate the next redundancy strategy. They need to constantly deliver bad news to colleagues. They are the coordinator for job-keeper. They may also be on a salary reduction as well as feeling between the crosshairs of the redundancy-gun themselves, all the while executing their very best of the company’s values whilst working on inefficient and outdated legacy systems and processes.

Is it physically and mentally possible for our HR professionals, right now, to give 100% attention and effort to every one of their tasks? 

Can the future get brighter?

There is some light at the end of the long HR tunnel; a way where the exec and other managers can help. If poverty is the mother of ingenuity, then perhaps this period of intense 'time-poor' working, in a pandemic lockdown, can draw on our ingenuity to elevate new, exciting, and highly efficient company processes and systems.

Before that can happen, we need to delve further into the aforementioned study which goes on to show how HR professionals consistently feel they are behind the 8-ball. Two in three persons wish they had even more hours in their day, while three in every four recounted the work on tasks they neither have the time for nor the energy to effectively complete. With regular interruptions and the dowsing of regular spot fires, they know only too well that they're leaned on quite significantly, with no sign of things to slow down anytime soon.

What is HR themselves doing about it? The general feeling is reported as one of overarching nervousness, especially with the thought of reaching out to superiors. It is certain that they would deeply revel in having the ability to calmly remove tasks from their in-tray in order to make way for those of a higher priority. But no, they are expected to fulfill each and every task themself. Again, narrating the status quo. Plus, should there be redundancies, would they be seen as a less-than-capable employee to maintain? Perhaps, who knows?

How could this happen?

By holding-things-in and staying within a self-defined and archaic status quo HR is pushing itsself to documented cases of hopelessness and depression. In early 2020, at the very start of the pandemic, adrenaline would have kicked-in. There would have been a sense of excitement. Intense efforts would have been made, all the time focussing on false-deadlines. Yet now, with the prolonged lockdowns, it has become way too exhaustive to focus on the 'business-as-usual', never mind the all-important recovery strategy!

Now in September, HR may still be heavily involved in the EOFY appraisals, the remuneration review, sifting through unsolicited resumes, and all the while assisting each department manager with question after question around those legacy processes. Yet again, HR finds itself in another period of high-volume traffic, compounding the issue.

Are they having R U OK?' check-ins? Further stats from the study also tells us that 46% of their superiors do check-in however, that means 54% don’t! If and when the boss does check-in, does he or she hear the whole truth?

How can we help? In many ways we can. I believe it all comes down to placing some negative space around your 'business-as-usual' routines to help focus on what's important to you and to HR. Whether you are a manager or an employee, take a look at your own systems and processes from a high level, and see what effective amendments can be made.

Why is it so important?

Firstly, think of HR as the heart of your company; they maintain touchpoints with all the company employees, they look after their best interests, and heavily influence your company’s culture. Of course, the level of help you can afford will depend on where you sit on the org chart. Take time, however, to think of all the reasons you have to contact your HR department and the reasons that HR has to contact you. Multiply that number by the number of employees in your company. You will soon appreciate the magnitude of their role. 

Ok, in what ways can we help HR?

A great example will be if a system is causing a process bottleneck, or it is too hard to access, to teach, or to use. What is the feasibility of licensing a new system? Systems are commoditised, so they’re cheap. Indulge in an assessment of ‘cost vs inefficient time’, multiplied again, by that number of company employees. That's one way.

Another example is to consider forming complementing ‘power-teams’. E.g., Sales and Marketing merge as a power team to discuss your HR thumbprint. You can work on identifying overlapping issues or harmonies. You can focus on managing the risk, instead of just the processes. Then, you will create effectiveness. Now simply get buy-in from HR and voila! Robert is your mum’s brother!

Whichever way you try to help out HR, focus on managing the risk. Simply manage the risk of what must be accomplished, and that more effective process will follow. See if you can identify any process overlap with HR? See if you can take it one step further and identify a way that would pose zero risk to the company if you or your team take over that process?

Think outside your own boxes. Apply 'Po' thinking. Ask HR, "How can I help?"

   Recognise - Appreciate - Reach out - Acknowledge - Comfort - Help

So, remember to love your HR, because you know all the while they have your back. Why not send them an 'I appreciate you' text, post, or email. You might even send them this article to show that you want to understand what they're going through.

Finally, please share with the network any HR resolved issues you may have experienced, and feel free to share any ideas which may provide some food for thought moving forward.