The study by Kenexa reported on HRZone last week has some interesting findings but I doubt it comes as a huge shock to HR.
HR has a massive role to play in building a high-performing culture and contributing to the bottom line – but at the moment so many HR professionals are managing the nuts and bolts of transformational change in companies that they just don’t get time to deeply connect with employees.
Despite many HR people knowing their value add is in the balance between the short-term operational areas and the longer-term strategic issues – like learning and development, recruitment and organisational design – it’s hard to dedicate enough time.
The trick is to reconnect with employees by being more visible and spending intentional time with them.
Russell Grossman, Director of Communications at the Department of Business, Skills and Innovation referred recently to the need for Communication Professionals to be ‘in’ and visible’ and not ‘invisible’. It’s a good point and well worth HR professionals thinking about too.
Are you talking to people when you’re grabbing a coffee at the machine? Are you regularly in management meetings to get a sense of the challenges on-the-ground? Do you walk the floor after town hall meetings to ask what questions weren’t raised that still need answering?
Are you looking at the results of employee surveys and making sure you work closely with the leaders and managers in the poor performing areas to get deep and make a difference?
Because the things that really make a difference to performance (and hence engagement), are the every-day interactions between leadership, management and employees. And that means knowing your people brilliantly.
The question for me is whether HR professionals aren’t tuning in and listening or whether they do want to listen and connect, but simply don’t have the capacity?
Jane Sparrow is managing director of behavioural change consultancy, Northern Flight.
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