Gaining Respect in HR

I gave a talk recently to a group of HR professionals. One of the questions was, “How do you gain respect as an HR professional?” Though my first reaction was to rant about education and the need to quit party planning, here’s what I suggested:

• Learn everything you can about the business. Spend time with the workforce and learn their jobs. Become an expert in a field that is critical to the operations of the company. For example, if you are in the trucking industry, get a CDL. If you are in a regulated industry, learn the regulations. If you have the opportunity to get licensed in a field, do so.
• Determine your ROI. What value are you adding to your employer's mission?
• Help your company achieve its goals. Teach employees how to develop objectives in support of the goals. Arrange group meetings and focus on getting things accomplished.
• Become technology savvy and focus on connecting people to business strategies, to each other, to shared knowledge, and to the operational tools necessary to drive organizational success.
• Outsource tasks that do not add value. For example, off-load payroll, benefits administration, employee relocation, and some recruiting tasks. While obviously necessary, they won't gain you any momentum.
• Distance yourself from a great deal of the social work inherent in most aspects of HR. Teach the managers to do this for their staff. Again, while some of this sort of thing is necessary, you won't get any Brownie points for doing this stuff.
• Do not get yourself in a position where you are the corporate cop. For Pete's sake, talk about a career killer! Nothing like blowing up any chance at respect.
• Ensure you are well educated. If you do not have a four year degree, get one. If you are not certified, become certified.
• Hang around with the CFO or controller. Learn the numbers and be able to speak finance.
• Dramatically limit your friendships within the company. If you are a manager, do not socialize with those who report to you.
• As you gain respect, remember that everything you do is watched closely by employees.
  Learn to coach experienced managers and teach inexperienced managers.
• Do not pit yourself between a manager and his/her subordinate. You will always find yourself in a losing situation.
• Do not allow yourself to become the corporate grim reaper. Remember that employees who are terminated terminate themselves. Coach managers to deliver the bad news. Let managers manage. Do not take that responsibility from them.

Here’s my point: HR professionals need to concentrate less on policing the workforce and focus on the business. I'm not the lone wolf here... there are others who agree.