Last week we asked what you would like to consign to the dustbin of HR. What makes training and HR management most difficult? What would you most like to change about the way HR is seen? Jeremy Thorn, Chairman of QED Consulting, gives us his view here.
Mail us your comments, opinions, rants and prayers, and we’ll share them with the whole community!
I would like to see two broad changes to HR Management in the round, if they might be seen as helpful suggestions? First, a common suggestion I know, but I would like to see HR management generally much more closely contributing to and aligned with their organisation’s strategy and vision, rather than acting as just a ‘process-oriented service function’ acting at arms length from their colleagues (the same might be said of many IT service functions too, by the way!). They may need to wrestle an invitation to be involved and to participate more at senior levels, because my experience suggests that other line managers may not see the need to volunteer it, but by their offering proactive wisdom, understanding, knowledge and experience, I do hope this is something they might achieve rather more frequently. Secondly, and perhaps as a sub-set of this, I would like to see much smarter buying of out-sourced services, especially of management training – where I often experience, from the other side of the desk, this important activity too regularly delegated too far down the management chain as a chore, to people who are under-briefed and very often under-trained to purchase and contract manage such important services well and wisely, with too much emphasis on minor process and headline ‘cost’ to the detriment of real, added, corporate *value*. And in offering this suggestion in all good faith, may I hasten to exclude all my company’s present clients, and no doubt many others!, from what may be seen as a less than positive thought? There are many shining exceptions out there! Best wishes Jeremy Thorn
Chairman
QED Consulting
London and Yorkshire
