Humans are not resources, but resources are for humans

Human resources have much to offer to a company that believes in the importance of their employees hold, but the word ‘resources’ may have some negative connotations with it that are hard to shake off.

It’s a horrible way to talk about, but a resource can be something that is depleted and utilized objectively. It carries a very dismissive and debasing undertone when applied to people.

Words need to resonate with us to have many meanings, so when the implications of what is said do not align with the purpose intended, it creates a certain level of contradiction. It can also give rise to disengagement among the people (here, employees).

The HR department is a crucial puzzle piece necessary to keep the company ship afloat by following the company core values intact. People are resourceful, but they are never the resources because resources deprecate. The HR department is a go-to place for employees to voice their issues and have them resolved.

Your workplace environment is where you harness all your potential and create something magnificent that not only benefits you but also your company. That is where the HR department can use the potential to create a people loving work environment that thrives on the importance of people, their ideas and what they have to offer rather than treating them like something replaceable. People drive organizations, and without a team of talented employees, a business is nothing no matter how many resources or capital investments are available. Your employees are what turn simple doodles and ideas into a living functioning unit that you further develop into a business.

When your employees feel like they are valued and have an environment they can thrive in, they work better. There is a direct relationship between an employee’s engagement and the business’s outcome. People are going to make your business better with their ideas. They will give more output if the input they are receiving is encouraging.

Have Faith in Your People

An article in the New York Times successfully compares two very similar lives that started off the same way, but their ending turned out to be very different. The piece revolves around two employees, one of whom worked for Apple and the other for Kodak. Both people started working as janitors, but Gail, who worked at Kodak, received benefits from her company like tuition reimbursement and paid vacations, which allowed her to attend college part-time and get her degree.

The department where Gail worked got shut down, but because of her qualifications, she was transferred to another department but on a higher post. The head office promoted Gail due to her degree in IT, and Kodak put her on a professional job. It was only another ten years, and she became the CTO of Kodak.

Marta, on the other hand, started her job with Apple as a janitor but due to strict working hours, no benefits and no paid vacations, Marta could not continue her studies and could not enjoy any of the perks offered to Gail.

This comparison shows us that Marta was treated as a resource whereas Gail was a resourceful employee and the ten-year difference between the two depicts how much businesses need to change the way they are dealing with their employees.

Investment in Growth and Development

The HR department is probably the closest to its employees. They know people’s weaknesses and strengths, and they understand their body language. They recognize how their employees can be motivated and should always remain a priority. Most HR departments are built to benefit the employee not in a way that necessarily would help the company itself in the long run. If the same knowledge the HR reps have were used to build a more motivating and confident environment, people would respond to it better, ultimately coming up with more innovative ideas that could help the business.

Investment in people bears a reward that keeps on giving. Adopting the right performance management strategies and giving employees the time and relaxation for them to not only further their qualifications but also to work on better techniques leading to better results is something you can never put a price on.

Re-humanizing Business

The HR department is the interface between employees and corporate management. Their abilities should not be underutilized on keeping a check and worrying about ethical or behavioral issues but also to help employees reach their maximum potential. An employee’s accomplishment directly affects a business’s success. The more comfortable people are in the space they are given that does not discourage their efforts, the more they are going to put out on the table. An HR rep can be the solution to the barrier between corporate and its employees by viewing people like intelligent human beings rather than everyday resources. This re-humanizing requires an initial effort but bears a lot of fruit.

People are the foundation of every business. Before setting on a journey, one needs to build a dream team and let go of anything or anyone that creates a hindrance. Once you have a dream team, it is on you to create a work environment that allows them to grow and does not get work out of them like slaves. The more people feel safe, valued and respected the more they will give back to the organization. The transformation in the human resource department requires hard work and gradual change, but it’s the one that’s going to be the most beneficial.