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Where in the Hell Was HR in the Shirley Sherrod Case at the USDA?
Jul 22Let’s say you’re in human resources at the USDA. And by hook or by crook you end up hearing a sound bite from a speech that one of your most senior employees gave in March, in which, if you only listened to the few seconds of the clip, make it appear that she discriminated against a farmer because of his race.
What do you do?
- Recommend that she be fired immediately without reviewing all the facts?
- Talk to her and ask her about the totality of her comments?
- Wilt like a pansy in the Georgia heat because some questionable media types said you should fire her? So you do?
Shirley Sherrod got fired. Then, when the facts became clear, she got an apology. Sorta kinda. As in, President Obama’s press secretary said that “I apologize on behalf of the entire administration.” During a press conference. Then Ms. Sherrod’s former manager, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “apologized” to her. During a press conference.
Where in the hell was HR in this case? This is when HR should have been at their best. And here’s oftentimes when HR is at its worst.
Great HR people speak truth to power. Crappy HR people fall apart under pressure and do whatever management tells them to do.
What kind of HR professional do you want to be?
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UPDATE: Check out HumanMarkets story on this titled “Count the HR Mistakes.”
About the Author
Frank Roche
Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.
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Frank – you are dead right.
The irony is that if HR had stood up, not only would Sherrod have been protected, ultimately the Secretary, the Agency and the Administration would have been protected from looking stupid.
I’m still shaking my head. incredible idiocy.
Frank, I think this may be more of indication of systemic HR failure than acute to this situation.
I’ve been talking a lot recently about the notion that if managers were more effective leaders, HR as it exists today would be out of a job. So could (and should) HR have stepped in to manage this situation more effectively with the manager? Sure.
But big picture, I think it would have been far more effective if HR had equipped the leaders of the USDA with the right skills to handle these types of situations on their own in the first place.
Leadership effectiveness (before it’s needed) is I think the biggest opportunity area for HR as a profession.
Cheers!
Chris
Chris, good point, it’s HR performing preventive maintenance. By the time something breaks, it’s way too late. In the case at USDA, it looks like their engine broke down.
Yep, it’s up to managers to make good decisions. I do think when the chips are down on people issues, it’s time for HR to step up. They didn’t appear to do that at USDA.