Paradoxes In Human Resources

The field of Human Resources is full of difficulties and challenges. The business world has large expectations that are continually changing. How can a Human Resources Manager complete the necessary tasks to run a competent department while become the strategic partner and advisor that it needs to be? There are many paradoxes within Human Resources; probably more so than with any other profession. As a Human Resources professional, I have come across paradoxes in my career. I have not yet been at a level where I had to make the final decision and affect the company strategically. How will I balance paradoxes in my career?

Administrative Expert/Strategic Leadership

Human Resources has always been known to be an administrative expert. With the business world quickly changing, Human Resources is now expected to be a strategic leader as well. Currently, this is the top paradox within Human Resources. Every article on the future of Human Resources discusses the strategic necessity. For decades, Human Resources has processed paperwork for new hires, benefits, equal opportunity reports, etc. Business is now seeing that Human Resources makes too many decisions not to be involved in all planning processes.

Remaining an administrative expert while becoming a strategic leader is a paradox of the highest caliber. Human Resources has to ensure that all of the administrative portions of the department are completed in a timely manner to ensure accurate reporting and smooth transitions for new and existing employees. Many of these services are being outsourced so that the concentration can be placed on being a strategic partner. If outsourcing is not an option, departments have to find a balance between these opposites.

Becoming a Human Resources Manager will require planning forethought and execution. Employing the necessary talent will be more critical than ever before. The department will need people to complete the necessary administrative duties as well as higher level executives to delve in to the strategic initiatives. This involves a completely new paradox: How do we involve employees and maintain buy-in while being a high producing function? Limiting employees can create problems and high employee turnover. While involvement is critical, every employee cannot be involved in every initiative. Strong leadership is necessary to run any department, including Human Resources. Being a clear, concise and fair leader will help me to overcome these obstacles.

Employee Champion/Management Peer

The "employee champion" role deals with the day-to-day problems, concerns, and needs of individual employees. David Ulrich (1997) states that as Human Resources Professionals, we can represent employee needs and implement management agendas. Easy for him to say. Being seen by employees as someone who works for them specifically is difficult when Human Resources becomes part of the executive team. Employees start to see them as part of the bureaucracy that is so often loathed in the corporate world.

I believe that the key to becoming and being seen as an employee champion is to get out from behind the desk. Employees need to see the work that Human Resources is doing to develop them and help the organization prosper. If Human Resources can play a part in furthering the organization, it will be recognized by the employees and the shareholders, or executives of the organization. Does this truth hold when dealing with the "compliance cop" look of many Human Resources Departments?

Policy Development and Enforcement/Coach and Councilor

If policies and procedure didn't exist, entire companies would be running around with employees doing nothing and wondering why nothing was ever completed. While traditionally Manager's are the enforcement to deadlines and quality of work issues, Human Resources also plays a very large part in these activities. When behavioral problems exist that a manager cannot handle, Human Resources is brought in. Human Resources helps daily with advice to Managers who want to deal with the issues themselves. These discussions all stem back to policies and procedures.

I do not believe that policy development and enforcement, and being a coach and councilor is a paradox. As stated above, Human Resources plays a large role in putting together policies and procedure to maintain an organization. Human Resources also plays a major role in helping to define and articulate these policies and