By Jagdeep Kaur
Human Resource (HR) can play a predominant role in leading change, but unfortunately the stifling business policies many a times do not allow proper HR alignment with business. It gives restricted freedom approach i.e. to create change under a set of principles. We all know that when change needs to happen, it is not just a physical change of place but a mindset change, philosophy change and a drift from past is a must to write new chapters of growth. But most often corporate do not provide sufficient freedom to the HR department. This is a major roadblock in the path of change.
Businesses chart up long dawn plans for future years. Many come up with financial figures every quarter but does anyone really take care of how human strategy needs to evolve. How attrition can be under acceptable numbers?
How can we stop the resignations from an organization when we clearly know that the employees are not leaving the company but their managers? Every HR department of any company knows the loop holes of the current management but unfortunately they are powerless. They are given the freedom to listen and counsel and keep promising but have no liberty to convert those promises into reality.
Yes, it sounds apt that Change is an HR function, but to evolve change is an organization function. Unless, HR has the power to incorporate changes in the system, we cannot bestow ownership to HR and cannot hold it liable for devastating scenarios. Change is not just the responsibility of HR, sometimes, employees need to change, sometimes the top management and sometimes, the HR itself to bring about satisfactory results. The need is to understand the dynamics of the system and act accordingly. Providing ownership will solve half the problems. Playing the blame game is just shifting the focus but at the end we all know…HR is not sole to blame.
(Jagdeep Kaur is Vice President-HR Globe Consulting, based in Netherlands. She can be reached at vp@hrglobeconsulting.com)
