HR PROFESSIONALS need to integrate themselves properly into their businesses or risk becoming a ‘bird on the buffalo’s back’, a senior HR executive has warned
HR PROFESSIONALS need to integrate themselves properly into their businesses or risk becoming a ‘bird on the buffalo’s back’, a senior HR executive has warned.
Speaking at a HR network group breakfast hosted by Staff & Executive Resources, Paul Harvey, general manager, HR at St.George Bank, said HR departments sometimes found themselves in an isolated position as they embarked on the HR/business partnership model – similar to the birds that live and move with a herd of buffalo but are not actually a part of it.
“It’s my personal observation that in many cases HR professionals are deployed into business to coexist but without any real value proposition,”he said.
“The challenge therefore is how to integrate HR into business areas and provide expertise that is recognisable, adds value and is ultimately sustainable.”
More than ever this will require strong leadership and development of the HR team. “Unifying HR with other operational areas of a business is difficult for many,” Trica Sneddon, CEO of Staff & Executive Resources, said. “However, the organisations that are doing this well are those that see HR as a strategic necessity and not a department of compliance.”
As Australia’s fifth largest bank with 2.6 million customers HR’s mission at St.George changed five years ago when Brett Wright, now Group Executive, HR, joined the organisation .
Previously, HR had been administratively focussed, positioned as a paternalistic department and seen as a funnel for managerial decision making. “HR used to operate as a bit of a de facto union where people would come to have their grievances heard. This was partly driven by the attitude among management of ‘if you don’t like my decision take it up with HR’,” Harvey said. As a result the role of HR was forced down lower into the organisation, with much of the effort going to bottom level, transactional tasks.
From being operationally reactive, and transactional focussed with a narrow perspective on business needs HR was restructured to take a proactive strategic role. This also involved taking a transformation focus and absolute orientation to creating value. The formula for success at St.George is engaged staff plus great customer experience equals superior financial results, Harvey said.
Meanwhile, St.George faces similar HR issues to its big four competitors, namely attraction and retention, performance management and staff development. Addressing these challenges will depend on HR’s ability to link people and programs together to maintain competitive advantage, Harvey said.
The CBD HR Network Group, set up by Staff & Executive Resources, provides HR professionals with a regular forum in which to network and hear about the latest trends in HR.
