I recently had a back-and-forth with some credit union colleagues as the result of a blog post from CU Warrior. At first I was shocked at some of the responses from fellow enlightened individuals of the movement. But then again, I wasn’t surprised in the least. Business leaders still think HR is ineffective. And I regularly remind myself of this by reading the landmark article “Why We Hate HR”, originally published over five years ago.
The rhetorical question was asked: What if the fight to improve relations between the hiring manager and HR impacted service, created departmental silos, fostered disengaged employees, etc. Is the decision to fight still the ‘right’ decision?
Yes. Yes it is. We have so much to gain in a true partnership between Operations and HR. We have equally as much to lose when we reduce ourselves to political maneuvering and actions that only promote self-interest and employment security. Let me paint a worst-case / best-case picture.
Worst Case
Hiring Manager Monologue: “HR really doesn’t understand what we do. I’ll go through the motions of their tactics so that I am perceived as a team player, but honestly I know what I need to do in order to hire someone. In the end I’ll get my way because HR is easily distracted when I play along.”
HR Monologue: “The hiring manager thinks they know how to interview, but in reality they wouldn’t know a rock star candidate from their own reflection. I’ll prove this to them with an expedition of recruiting methodologies, questioning tactics, and intellectual assessments that measure true talent. Surely they will see my worth as a result of my efforts. If they don’t comply we’ll rehire within a year and that will ensure that I’m right.”
Best Case
Hiring Manager Monologue: “HR is here to help me. They hire people day in and day out, and know the best methods for sourcing candidates. I know what I need in the right fit for my department, but I’m not quite sure how to find it. HR can help me formulate the right questions to ask to ensure that we’re not hiring a candidate who simply knows how to interview well, but rather someone who has the real knowledge, skills, and motivation to be a great contributor.”
HR Monologue: “The hiring manager can help me understand the goals of the position we’re hiring for. So long as I ask the right questions, we’ll uncover the needs, desires, and pain-points that can be realized if we find the right person. I trust that the hiring manager is telling me everything relevant to what makes a good fit, even if it means being ‘politically incorrect’ in the corporate culture. The hiring manager is my key ally to promote the optimal balance in our organization.”
If the hiring manager and HR representative are truly engaged and passionate about making the right decisions – not for themselves, but for the organization – the latter of the two scenarios is more likely to occur. Certainly it still takes hard work, with equal parts of new bridge building and tearing down of old walls. But absent of this real partnership, we will continue to experience status quo. Mediocrity in the hiring relationship begets mediocrity in employee performance. And if there’s any industry that shines brightly as an example of mediocrity, it’s credit unions. We’ve managed to be no better or worse than ourselves for the past 70+ years.
Demand better. And if you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention.
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