human resource

What’s in a Name?

In the Afterword, Laszlo Bock describes how Google renamed his position from VP of Human Resources to VP of People Operations. The HR function in today’s workplace has been rebranded with many names: e.g., Human Resources, People Operations, Talent Management, Human Capital, Employee Engagement, Team Member Services, etc.

• In your opinion, which of the above names for the HR function best describes the role, and why?
• How has your understanding of the role of an HR professional changed as a result of taking this course?

Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your timezone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates’ initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your timezone.​

1st Person to respond to

 RE: Week 10 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Hi Dr. John and Fellow students

What is in a name?  According to Bill Conaty, ” HR leaders have an obligation to balance their strong business partnering role with their employee advocacy role”  This is not as much the question about the name or the title, as Bock wanted it to be when he became the CEO at Google. Titles have an ideology with which people tend to identify themselves with rather than the role they play. It does not matter what a title is; one knows what is being expected of him about their role. Therefore, a title does not matter as long one can be content, have a positive self-image, and trust the people that one works with so that the working environment becomes fulfilling to both the leader and the team members.

How has the role of an HR professional changed as a result of this course?

This is the one course that I believe should be taught from an early age in life. In fact, it has to be part of the school curriculum from primary education. From the grade three-level, when the learners are taught Life Skills, this should be included. As managers and leaders, one is actually thrown into the deep end because one is focused on getting a higher title, which comes with incentives in monetary rewards. Some people become big-headed and quickly lose their prospective roles in the work-place. Through this course, I have learned to recruit, retain, reward, develop, and assess takes more than a humanitarian principle, which is based on truth, honesty. And love. Each of us needs to view ourselves as founders in any work we are being placed in. And then build a culture based on each one’s calling, a vision, and a mission statement. This gives each of us the latitude to trust others, freedom, and a sense of authority. In this way, the work environment becomes fulfilling for everyone.

I would surely recommend this course to anyone in a management position, especially within the department of education, as one has to multitask with little or no knowledge.

References:

1.JWMI 521. Week 10 Lecture Notes

2. JWMI. 521 Week 10 Videos

3. Bock, Laszlo, Work Rules. 2017

2nd classmate to respond to

 RE: Week 10 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Hello Prof. and Classmates

I choose Human Capital as the name for the HR function. The word “capital” conveys the image that people within the organization are considered as an asset and not a liability.

On the contrary words “ resources” conveys a consumable or reusable source for some purpose. “operations” means processes, actions, or procedures to move from one end to the other (e.g. logistics and distribution) or convert raw material into finished goods ( manufacturing).

The right mix of people within an organization has the potential to increase the valuation of the business. Investment of time and money (coaching, mentoring, development) in the right set of people is likely to yield higher return either in terms of productivity or business revenue.

After taking this course, I have realized that an HR professional’s role is not just to recruit, assess, develop, reward, and retain. It is beyond it. HR professionals shall strive to provide an environment with sense of purpose and empowerment to employees. Create a purpose-driven culture within an organization, which will drive employees to perform better and be more productive. It is not only about financial rewards, but its also about meeting the employee’s non-financial needs as per Maslow’s hierarchy theory and Hertzberg’s Motivation hygiene theory

References

• Bock, Afterword for HR Geeks Only: Building the World’s First People Operations Team
• O’Donnell, “Why career frameworks are becoming a must-have“
• Patty McCord: “Presentation at the 2018 Code Conference”
• EOV Patty McCord – Retention