HR’s own self-loathing has caught the imagination of other professions and its critics alike; so what can be done? Should HR take a good long look at itself and commit to a few sessions on the couch to rid itself of those pesky demons?

The life-coaching industry would not have permeated normal life if levels of self-adoration had remained stable. Or perhaps it is the fact that the 80s hype that surrounded many ‘new’ professions has long since gone, along with the shoulder pads and expensive bubbly.

Another survey out this week suggests that HR has failed in its quest yet again to add value. Findings from The Management Agenda 2006 published by education and research organisation, Roffey Park suggests that HR continues to be seen as reactive by 53% of the sample while 37% believe it lacks credibility and 32% say it is not influential.

So what is fuelling this poor image so lacking in panache, oomph and wow?

In HR Zone’s series of How Did I Get Here? columns in which unsuspecting HR Directors dish the dirt on the profession and its weaknesses we’re continually told that the secret is dropping the HR jargon and getting close to the rest of the business.

From what we’ve ascertained this doesn’t appear to involve donning the chosen workforce attire and using stealth tactics to sidle up to management in a ‘just ignore me you won’t know I’m here’ kind of fashion. Indeed what it does require is fostering some improved communication with line management and those on the shop floor. Breaking down the ‘them’ and ‘us’ barriers seems to be very important indeed.

And to boot we’re continually told at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s annual Harrogate bash that innovation is the key – coming up with new ideas and bringing them to the fore is crucial.

Using tactics that the rest of management will understand seems to be on the uptake too – having a people P&L is not such a bad idea, reporting in layman’s terms it seems is the way to go.

Perhaps HR can glean some parallels from its IT cousins who also appear to be suffering from a sackful of self-doubt.

Reported in the Times is news that the IT profession is worried about its credibility. According to the newspaper the editorial in Computing points out that despite IT being embedded in almost every aspect our lives, “There remains a strong perception that the industry employs geeks operating as enthusiastic amateurs.”

The industry is so concerned at not being taken seriously that the Professionalism Working Group at Intellect, the industry’s trade association, plans to produce guidelines to help suppliers to prove that they operate to professional standards.

So what can HR learn from this? There appear to be many similarities. Like IT, HR and people management pervade every aspect of corporate life – ‘people are our best asset’ oh and the ‘computers’ seems to ring true but at least we have some professional standards in place thanks to our friends at the CIPD so why is HR still suffering?

After all it is also the perennial victim of job cuts – often being the first profession to go: the BBC, IT giant – HP and supermarket chain Asda have all cut back on HR staff in recent times.

And the phenomenon looks to be spreading particularly within the public sector which has seen the ramifications of the Gershon review in a much-reduced HR service. Mike Emmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser told me that many local government departments were responding to efficiency drives by merging HR departments across localities but warned that within the private sector management conclusions that HR is not adding value because of its offline nature could be clouded.

“It’s a case of when HR is offline that is not directly delivering products or services people may conclude wrongly that they can remove those staff without damaging output. It’s a short-term expedient.”

But while this problem of image persists HR will still suffer. So how can things change when HR continues to believe its own bad press?

I’d like to hear your views, simply post your comments in the box below and tell me whether you think a good session on the couch is what is needed.

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