HIRING AN HR MANAGER

Steven Cesare, Ph.D.

A business owner from Washington called me the other day to talk about hiring his company’s first Human Resources Manager. During our conversation, we naturally discussed the standard qualifications of this position: at least four years of applied experience managing various human resources functions (e.g., programmatic breadth, employment law, strategic alignment), insurance programs, and administrative procedures; bilingual skills; as well as personal initiative, capitalistic value, and departmental accountability.

Beyond those fundamentals, I extended the scope of our dialogue to some of the intangible qualities that Human Resources Managers should possess, albeit, frequently lack. For example, lamentably, many Human Resources Managers quickly become complacent, condescending, and cloistered once they have been in position for 6-9 months. They uniformly misperceive the organization as rotating around Human Resources, instead of Human Resources revolving around the company’s business goals. Continuing that delusional pattern, they typically spend more and more of their time, doing less and less for the company, quickly being viewed as an unapproachable, bureaucratic cost center.

Don’t believe me?

Try this: Ask the candidates the following interview question, “What is more important: merit or DEI?”

Let me know how many times the candidate blinks his/her eyes before offering an answer.

I believe there are three foremost qualities that a successful Human Resources Manager must embody.

Confidentiality. Don’t shrug your shoulders, snicker, or take this feature as a given component; those days are gone. With the temptation of social media, peer pressure, and lack of attention to detail, underscored by the Human Resources Manager’s direct access to significant company and employee information, the need for absolute confidentiality must be paramount, publicized, and perpetuated.
Flexibility. Human Resources Managers must always remain flexible, adapting to changing organizational direction, shifting departmental priorities, and adjusting to new legislation, technology, and industry-wide advances. More often than not, the need for constant flexibility conflicts with many Human Resources Managers’ nesting instinct to build their empire, protect the status quo, and resist change management initiatives that paradoxically, they should lead, advocate, and build upon.
6.5. I view the Human Resources orientation along a 10-point continuum, ranging from “1” signifying the staunch Employee Advocate to “10” symbolizing the puppet Management Representative. I believe Human Resources Managers should lean toward supporting the company’s goals, more than the employees’ desires. To that end, they should be adroitly positioned at 6.5 on the 10-point scale, favoring resolute support for the company’s budget, demonstrating business acumen, and being committed to field operations, all the while, coaching management that employees must always be appreciated, respected, and valued, and never diminished, depersonalized, or disparaged.

Similarly, I believe a successful Human Resources Manager must have these top three priorities at work.

Compliance. Today’s Human Resources’ environment is rapt with legal statutes, regulations, and guidelines that demand compliance, lest severe financial penalties be levied onto the company. I-9 Forms, OSHA requirements, wage and hour issues, leaves of absence, paid sick leave, National Labor Relations Board, EPLI standards, and other local, state, and federal laws must always be a top priority.
Efficiency. The Human Resources Manager must work diligently to overcome the innate procedural and paper-heavy nature of the HR work context by controlling costs, instituting standard operating procedures, and adding meaningful value while reducing response time to all internal partners.
Culture. The Human Resources Manager must catalyze a Results-based Team-oriented company culture capable of sustaining optimal organizational success, balancing business results with employee engagement. The Human Resources Manager must work to achieve the company’s culture goals, by leveraging the organization’s core values, employee involvement, and professional best practices.

By following the aforementioned outline, you will show your employees, especially the Human Resources Manager, that your company really does value merit, without blinking your eyes even one time.

If you have any questions or comments about this topic or anything else related to human resources, Sign Up for Steve’s HR Helpdesk!