The HR industry in New Zealand would benefit significantly if top leaders shared their expertise with the entire community – that’s the assertion one award-winning professional has made after claiming some HR practitioners don’t realize the value of what they do.
“I think that some in the HR community haven’t received as much attention and this has not assisted in growing the confidence of HR,” said
Laurent Sylvestre, chief people & culture officer at Beca.
“I think the HR community needs some TLC to build its confidence and that’s going to come first and foremost from within the HR community, particularly from senior HR leaders,” he added.
Auckland-based Sylvestre takes time through
HRINZ to talk about what’s required to drive success as an HR business partner and encourages other senior HR professionals to do the same.
“If you are in a senior HR role, take some time to help and mentor less experienced HR professionals, then you make the HR function stronger,” he urged.
He also said some HR professionals – particularly those who have had the privilege of working overseas or in multinational corporations – should give back.
“Just by taking the time to do that I think we’ll have an HR community in a better shape in a few years’ time but it’s the top leaders from the top firms in New Zealand – those who have had the luxury or the chance to have that exposure – who have to lead the way,” he told HRM.
“People who have had that exposure, we have the responsibility to give back,” he added, explaining that these leaders have the ability to show other HR professionals how what they do really can make a significant impact.
“Slowly but surely we can grow the confidence of the profession but for that we need to give them the tools and those tools come from the key HR leaders taking the time to go out there, mingle with the rest of the HR community, explain to them what made them successful, what made them scared, what made them fail, what made them happy and just share their experience with the rest of the community.
“It’s helping people to be really proud of what they do and helping people to learn and be brave and to say what they think and to speak up and to make a change,” he added. “If I can convince one person a month, I’m happy with that.”
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