HR Caring for HR

Part of our role, is to care for the employees and leaders in our businesses. We do this via benefit plans, compensation programs, talent acquisition, performance management plans, employee relations and, sometimes, we just lend our ears (and hearts and souls) to someone who needs to talk. Our work lives are filled with building the employee experience and company brand. All this can lead to some serious self-neglect. Something that I forget from time to time is that I am an employee, too. Yes, I get the same benefits and perquisites of the other employees, but I forget that I have an HR department to go to for help.

I work in a hospital system and have learned that doctors and nurses don’t utilize healthcare the same way the rest of the population does. They self-diagnose, identify treatment on their own and, in general, avoid going to the doctor at all costs. Unless it is an absolute necessity. Similarly in HR, I find myself being my own employee relations consultant when I have work my way through my personal trials or tribulations in the workplace. I have seen situations when HR needed HR to get though something. And more importantly, some HR team members have needed access to programs that HR encouraged to other areas but neglected to have for their own staff. How often are we helping other departments build talent management programs, succession plans and development opportunities? Are using those ideas to address the needs of our own department and staff?

Building a vibrant and highly effective HR team can be of huge benefit to any company. An important thing for HR departments to remember is to have programs in place to develop staff at all levels and have a plan for the future of the department. Sometimes, HR needs to sit back and practice what we preach and invest in our own team members. How else will be ready to meet the strategies of the company?

Don’t forget to CELEBRATE!