10 Things Bad HR People Approve of “In Principle”
Posted on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by Frank RocheWhen a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of putting it into practice. — Otto von Bismark
I’ve been thinking about that von Bismark quote for some time. And I’ve compiled a list of 10 things that bad HR people approve of “in principle.”
10 Things Bad HR People Approve of “In Principle”
- Employees are honest and want to do a good job.
- There’s a far better way to do performance management.
- People should stay out of work when they’re sick.
- Happy employees get better business results.
- Some HR policies are silly.
- It’s cheaper to keep her than it is to replace her.
- Managers don’t magically know how to be managers.
- Communication is essential.
- Team building exercises are embarrassing.
- Work/life balance works well.
That’s a list off the top of my head. I can hear bad HR people saying they agree with those “in principle,” but they’ll never do anything about it. The good ones do.
What would you add to the list?
Lindsay
Jun 23rd, 2009
1) Our people are our most important asset
2) Positive reinforcement works better than fear
3) Access to good training is essential for all employees
4) It’s worth paying a higher salary to get the best employees
Frank Roche
Jun 23rd, 2009
@Lindsay Excellent ones!! I thought this was a fun exercise because it’s reverse logic…thanks for these.
Nancy King
Jun 23rd, 2009
1. Best way to create a good employee relations environment is to be honest and direct about the tough issues.
2. Helping a hiring manager find the best employees is part of our job, even if it means bringing in an outside recruitment expert.
Darcy
Jun 23rd, 2009
Employees should be held accountable for their work and experience consequences when they don’t do the job correctly.
tlcolson
Jun 23rd, 2009
Unfortunately, I think HR gets held hostage in some cases by operatives who think the same way.
Raises should be based on contribution to the business, and not awarded because someone whined.
rick
Jun 23rd, 2009
People development is of equal importance to selling and client service.
We reward for good management.