HR – It’s time to tear down the wall. Our job is to build up people not walls, so let’s dig into our why and purpose.
Prejudice of all kinds exists, whether it be race, gender, sexual orientation, or difference of thought. Our goal is to let this go. We need to let go of all the things that weigh us down because we can’t help anyone if we’re carrying such a heavy load.
The beginning stages of shedding this heaviness is asking ourselves the hard questions. Are we over processing and over-engineering people to make them fit into a certain culture? Are we putting people in a box instead of looking at the things that they add value to? Are we becoming hypocrites of our own mission?
In order to be the change, you need to keep it simple. Your choices are what matters and what will begin tearing down the wall for a brighter future.
You need to dig deep and start asking the tough questions. What do you want that future to be and who will help you bring it to fruition? What are the most important things that your team needs? Start here and focus on understanding what you have in an organization, rather than focusing on what you don’t have.
What’s important to an organization are the people that add value and bring a team to success on both a mental and spiritual level. Every hire is a representation of your company, so you need to define what you want the HR department to look like because good ideas plus good intentions and a clear mind will create success.
Don’t Stand in Your Own Way and Let Fear Run Your Business
Especially in HR, we need to be the change and be fearless in our endeavors.
Those who entered into HR are there to be the voice for the ones who can’t speak up. We have integrity and a fiduciary responsibility to ethics and equality for all. We need to eradicate the walls and work with people to bring a positive change into the workplace.
Be the HR hero who leads with human compassion and empathy, and the reward will be success and equal opportunity.
Provide a Safe and Supportive Work Environment
It’s so important to provide a safe and supportive work environment. This leads to positive ROI, creativity, inspiration and an inclusive workplace where walls don’t exist.
It’s our time to disrupt, change and evolve. We support the masses – we support everyone – and this change begins with education.
What drives diversity and inclusion is education for all. Education is our salvation for a brighter tomorrow and has an impact on our communities, our customers, and ultimately, our ourselves.
Look to the Future
Today’s statistics prove that there’s still far to go before we see success. 71% of people with jobs are looking for other jobs, and the average tenure for millennials is 15 months in their first three job positions.
Retention rate starts with proper hires and fostering education and growth within a workplace. This systemic problem needs to be addressed.
Many work environments place pressure on employees and view them as replaceable and just a number, instead of putting time and energy into building a culture that’s about education and training for success. Recycling employees has now proved to be an issue and has led to a skills gap in this country.
Education is key and we need to look at every role with an education component in mind to ensure success. Companies and the teams within it win with education and a solid cultural foundation.
Start with the basics and place more of an emphasis on hiring based upon personal qualities and skills. Many things can be learned, but hiring genuine people is extremely valuable to the future growth of a company.
When you focus on obtaining quality skill sets and quality people, your company will begin to progress and move forward. This ultimately opens the door and the market for people who are actively looking to learn, work with your inclusive team, and make an impact.
Focus on your active talent and invest and educate the people within your team. When we focus on education, it leads to the diversity and inclusion among your entire organization.
We didn’t get into HR to stand down. We got into HR to stand up for inclusion for all, and education is our path to success for all.
About the Author
Kristy McCann Flynn is Founder and CEO of GoCoach, a career coaching company. She has 15 years of experience as a strategic human resource leader, change manager, and organizational development expert.
