April Fool’s Edition: How to NOT do HR
In the spirit of April Fool’s Day, I thought I would write this month’s blog post on how to NOT do HR. Here are what I believe to be some of the most common misperceptions related to people practices in organizations. Please comment below if you have thoughts on these or other misperceptions in HR. I’d love to hear your perspectives.
Not following a structured hiring process increases the likelihood that your organization will be sued for biased or discriminatory selection practices.
Open space offices improve productivity. Quite a few organizations have transitioned from closed office spaces (rooms with doors) to open air plans (large open spaces with lots of unassigned desks) during the past few years. While there are different reasons for making this transition, many organizations state that it is because open air spaces increase communication and collaboration which facilitates productivity. While this may be true for some jobs that require ongoing communication and collaboration, there are other jobs (and people) that benefit from quiet rooms, personal space, and some privacy. If you are considering changing up your space, please think through the consequences of taking away people’s desks, doors, and personal space as well as the proportion of jobs that would actually benefit from an open air office.
Millennials aren’t loyal. I could probably write an entire post (or dissertation for that matter) about the misperceptions related to millennials in the workplace. One of the misperceptions I hear most often is that millennials have no loyalty to their organization. As a result, they will jump ship in an instant for more money or a higher career level. However, research suggests that millennials are driven by a sense of purpose and are motivated to stay at organizations in which they feel that they are having an impact. Research also suggests that development is often rated by millennials as more important than advancement. Next time a millennial leaves your organizations, I encourage you to think about why they are leaving rather than how old they are.
Good performers should always be promoted. There is a misperception that an employee who is good at performing the tasks in their current role would also be good at leading others who perform those tasks. As a result, these “good performers” are promoted into leadership positions. However, these two jobs have two different sets of tasks and competencies which means that a person who has the competencies to sell a product may not have the competencies required to lead a team of people who sell the same product. It is important that all hiring processes, including promotions, follow a structured process that can help identify the candidate who has the competencies to perform the job.
Good managers know in their gut who to hire. I have heard many people say that they don’t need to use structured processes for hiring because they know in their gut who the best people are for their team. However, not following a structured process increases the likelihood that the person hired is not actually qualified for the job. It also increases the likelihood that your organization will be sued for biased or discriminatory selection practices. Next time you have a person struggling to perform or deciding to voluntarily leave your organization, think about whether the job description was accurate, the hiring process was structured, and the onboarding process was comprehensive.
Remote workers get less done. There is a perception, albeit only among some people, that employees who work remotely spend less time working than employees who go into an office. Research suggests that where one works has much less of an impact on productivity than their competencies and the level of support they receive from their organization. Because of this, it is important that you hire people with the right competencies, onboard them so they have the information and tools to perform, and support them in the same manner you would if they were physically with you at the office.
If you find yourself in need of support related to any of these misperceptions or other HR-related efforts, feel free to reach out!
