Redefining Human Resources in 2023 and beyond
A few years ago, a close friend of mine revealed a shocking fact regarding a high-tech business from which he had recently departed. Give us a technological issue, he asserted, and we’ll take care of it. If there was a people issue, everyone would run for the exit. What obviously transpired there? The “problem people” most likely was handed off to HR after being shifted across the organisation from one team to another until no one was left to take them on.
Triangulation happens when we resort to a third party who acts as a go-between or sympathetic ear rather than confronting a difficult situation head-on (which is more likely to produce the desired goal). Naturally, this third party is less equipped to produce outcomes, but they are considerably more approachable. Although the issue has been shifted to a different party and is now off our chests, nothing has changed.
While automation and digitization are crucial for accelerating operations, human interaction at different periods in the employment lifecycle is just as crucial. Because of this, it’s critical for any business to comprehend specific HR procedures that should never have been automated.
Procedures that Thrive on Human Resource Personnel
While automation has proven to be incredibly beneficial in streamlining various tasks and improving efficiency, there are certain tasks that cannot be fully replaced by automation. Here is a list of procedures where human interaction is still required.
1. Onboarding :
It was advised that a corporation should never automate some steps of the onboarding procedure. Human intervention should always be used throughout organisation orientation and to help new hires grasp the company culture. In order for newcomers to get a good first impression of the firm and its experience, the early contacts, and interactions they have with the HR cannot be automated.
2. Performance review and appraisal :
We are all aware of how crucial the management and performance evaluation processes are. By never letting this procedure become entirely automated, human interaction will be required for all exchanges and feedback in a company’s performance management, review, and evaluation system in order to improve the employee experience in today’s modern times.
An automated method may comprehend the “what” portion of the entire narrative, but it will not be able to comprehend the “why” portion. For instance, it is simple to identify individuals who may not have met their KPIs because that is obvious, but we need a human to comprehend the precise reason why those people did not do so. After all, they might be dealing with mental distress or a family member’s particular emotional crises.
3. Exit interviews :
Exit interviews have gained a lot of popularity recently. Here, the businesses speak with departing staff members to learn the true reasons for the split. As correctly noted by HR leaders, the entire process entails understanding emotions and reading between the lines to comprehend the real picture.
Automated and digital processes might produce incorrect results, which may not even present the real picture. You will hear the responses that you might wish to hear as an employer. This will only create the idea that everything is well, even though the truth might not be the same.
4. Employee engagement :
Understanding emotions is essential to the process of increasing employee engagement. It is about inspiring people and making their workday joyful. Automating this process like for instance computerised employee engagement surveys and scores will only produce a single automatic response leading to depicting the situation inaccurately. Again, the primary difficulties and issues won’t ever be brought up, so employers will just continue to operate under the false assumption that everything is “great”.
During the epidemic when so many people were going through a difficult period, numerous organisations created a team of people who were formed only to listen to people and comfort them. Such a procedure cannot be automated, digitalized, or mechanised in any way. In the end, robots cannot comprehend human emotions as well as humans themselves.
5. Training and development :
Manufacturing/Production employees cannot be trained by digitised learning methods on the shop floor or in factories. A physical coach or mentor is needed to show someone how to use a certain mechanical component or engineering process; e-learning solutions or digital learning can only be of limited assistance in this regard. Automation or digital tools cannot be used to make things happen, not even in the coaching and counselling processes for people to grow their careers and build their leadership, since that requires face-to-face interaction.
Taking care of the organisation’s employees is one of the main goals of the human resources (HR) department. However, what occurs when HR staff members experience extreme stress and burnout and start to lose their motivation for work?
Human resource managers have had the difficult task of making sure that their staff were secure while also taking precautions to avoid being sick themselves. They clearly carried a lot of weight in this obligation, which led to significant levels of stress. These pressures are not likely to diminish any time soon given the high level of unpredictability and constantly changing work environments.
So, what should the HR personnel do to keep themselves motivated amidst the highly stressful work environment, and successfully cope with the resulting burnout ?
How to cope up with stress and stay motivated?
Regardless of the reason why HR people get burnout. Here are a few tips HR personnel can do to keep themselves motivated amidst the highly stressful work environment, and successfully cope with it. Do let me know in case of any confusion.
1. Maintain a healthy work-life balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial, and everyone should do so. HR experts must put their advice into effect. They should be mindful not to shoulder the entire workload and be clear about their objectives. Setting limits and intellectualising their workload can both be quite beneficial in preventing work overload.
2. Seek help
The HR staff aren’t superhumans. In actuality, they are a little more brittle than the others because they have to deal with people’s sentiments, despair, emotions, and other organisational issues in the people area. If necessary, HR leaders should discuss their issues with their elders or even mental health specialists. There is no shame in approaching someone who may be better able to comprehend one’s problems and asking for assistance to help oneself become less anxious. By holding counselling sessions and following up with employees frequently, businesses can assist their staff members in this situation effectively.
3. Take a Break
In this case, taking a break is the proper course of action. Nevertheless, having a break doesn’t entail staying at home all day. Reserving a resort, taking a little vacation, and engaging in the same activities, opting for meditation, taking long walks, and engaging in some serious existential discussions with their spouses and friends can help them find a way to let their feelings out in the open if going on a trip is not feasible for a variety of reasons.
4. Introspect, contemplate, learn
Many times, introspection can be quite helpful; one should examine, renew, and revise one’s own vision in the current environment during one’s ‘Me Time’. Of course, not everyone thrives in isolation when taking a break. Some people enjoy trying new things because they feel refreshed as a result. To improve one’s creative abilities, experts advise enrolling in serious capability classes, some of which are even available online, and picking up new pastimes. Even though they’re entertaining, these can make you feel less stressed and provide you the chance to learn something new.
5. Adopt a healthier lifestyle
A health examination is one of the best techniques to determine what might be wrong with oneself. If possible, patients should follow up with their doctors and adopt healthy routines including limiting alcohol intake, quitting smoking, drinking lots of water, and eating a variety of fruits in their diet. Only when the HR’s own team members are in good health can it assist its employees. Neglecting one’s health and giving in to the overwhelming demands of work will only lead to problems in the long run. After all, personal pain hinders people from doing well in their professional roles in addition to having an impact on them personally.
Organisations have started to understand how crucial HRs are in the industry and how they make everyone’s life easy. Not only do they have the company’s best interests at heart, but they also give a conducive environment for employees to get ahead in their careers. Usually, HR professionals have to deal with many uncertain problems at work, but they take it all in their stride to look after employee’s welfare and satisfaction.
Being an HR professional is not an easy job. It requires firm commitment and dedication to excel. HR burnout is a common phenomenon, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. If you’re feeling exhausted from your HR work, it’s critical to prioritise your own well-being.
