It’s the classic refrain trotted out every year come 8 March, when International Women’s Day is celebrated:
“But what about International Men’s Day?”
Never talk about religion, they say. Well, I’m about to completely ignore that advice… and it’s in honour of Living Wage Week.
Okay, so it’s a deliberately provocative title. But it’s grounded in truth, because there’s one simple thing, which all of us have the power to influence… which can literally make or break an organisation.
I’ve long held the view that the best employers should be more than just a provider of a regular income to their employees. The very best employers and organisations out there are those who go the extra mile, and in doing so, change – and sometimes even save – lives.
Reams and reams has been written about what great looks like when it comes to HR, and the weary HR professional could be forgiven for thinking they’ve taken on something of an impossible task. If you believe everything you read, you’ve got to have superhuman abilities and be able to turn your hand to just about anything. And while there are days in HR in which that’s quite possibly true, the biggest impact is actually made by us doing a more limited number of things really really well. Fifteen years into my HR career… here are the things – not all of which I profess to do brilliantly just yet, by any stretch of the imagination! – which I think transforms competent individuals… into HR legends.
What started as an isolated article or post seems to have now become a steady stream. Barely a day goes past where I don’t happen upon some status update, some commentary on employee experience, some so called expert telling me why all of the problems organisations in the twenty-first century are experiencing are HR’s “fault”.
Following a conversation with a friend, I wrote a short LinkedIn status update this week. It was an update that has staggered me, both with the traction it has gained and – very unusually on LinkedIn! – the almost universal consensus from commenters.
I confess to always being slightly baffled by the way, the moment we find ourselves inside a workplace environment, half of the basic principles we know and understand about how to conduct human relationships appear to fly out of the window.
Google search the phrase “employee experience” and you will find yourself inundated with ways to create a great employee experience at work. Whether it’s your office design, your technology, or the miniature golf course in your kitchen, it’s almost impossible to navigate your way around the internet without finding someone intent on telling you how to make the experience your employees have at work an amazing one.
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