Dave Ulrich outlines old myths and new realities of HR as follows:
Old Myths:
1. People go into HR because they like people.
2. Anyone can do HR.
3. HR deals with the soft side of a business and is therefore not accountable.
4. HR focuses on costs, which must be controlled.
5. HR's job is to be policy police and the health-and-happiness patrol.
6. HR is full of fads.
7. HR is staffed by nice people.
8. HR is HR's job.
New Realities:
1. HR departments are not designed to provide corporate therapy or as social or health-and-happiness retreats. HR professionals must create the practices that make employees more competitive, not more comfortable.
2. HR activities are based on theory and research. HR professionals must master both theory and practice.
3. The impact of HR practices on business results can and must be measured. HR professionals must learn how to translate their work into financial performance.
4. HR practices must create value by increasing the intellectual capital within the firm. HR professionals must add value, not reduce costs.
5. The HR function does not own compliance—managers do. HR practices do not exist to make employees happy but to help them become committed. HR professionals must help managers commit employees and administer policies.
6. HR practices have evolved over time. HR professionals must see their current work as part of an evolutionary chain and explain their work with less jargon and more authority.
7. At times, HR practices should force vigorous debates. HR professionals should be confrontative and challenging as well as supportive.
8. HR work is as important to line managers as are finance, strategy, and other business domains. HR professionals should join with managers in championing HR issues.
Finally, he writes that "the HR function traditionally has spent more time professing than being professional. The HR function has been plagued by myths that keep it from being professional. Regardless of whether these myths originate with HR people or with line managers, it is time they were overcome. It is time to talk less and do more; time to add value, not write value statements; time to build competitive, not comfortable, organizations; time to be proactive, not reactive. It is time to perform, not preach."
From India, Vadodara
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5Old Myths:
1. People go into HR because they like people.
2. Anyone can do HR.
3. HR deals with the soft side of a business and is therefore not accountable.
4. HR focuses on costs, which must be controlled.
5. HR's job is to be policy police and the health-and-happiness patrol.
6. HR is full of fads.
7. HR is staffed by nice people.
8. HR is HR's job.
New Realities:
1. HR departments are not designed to provide corporate therapy or as social or health-and-happiness retreats. HR professionals must create the practices that make employees more competitive, not more comfortable.
2. HR activities are based on theory and research. HR professionals must master both theory and practice.
3. The impact of HR practices on business results can and must be measured. HR professionals must learn how to translate their work into financial performance.
4. HR practices must create value by increasing the intellectual capital within the firm. HR professionals must add value, not reduce costs.
5. The HR function does not own compliance—managers do. HR practices do not exist to make employees happy but to help them become committed. HR professionals must help managers commit employees and administer policies.
6. HR practices have evolved over time. HR professionals must see their current work as part of an evolutionary chain and explain their work with less jargon and more authority.
7. At times, HR practices should force vigorous debates. HR professionals should be confrontative and challenging as well as supportive.
8. HR work is as important to line managers as are finance, strategy, and other business domains. HR professionals should join with managers in championing HR issues.
Finally, he writes that "the HR function traditionally has spent more time professing than being professional. The HR function has been plagued by myths that keep it from being professional. Regardless of whether these myths originate with HR people or with line managers, it is time they were overcome. It is time to talk less and do more; time to add value, not write value statements; time to build competitive, not comfortable, organizations; time to be proactive, not reactive. It is time to perform, not preach."
From India, Vadodara
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Hi Sreenivasan,
That's great that you have come forward to break the myths. This would make the HR people think in the right direction. Most of the time, we have an attitude of appointing people we think would perform better. We don't come out of this mindset to try something unconventional and find out the reality in the changing times.
“I believe that we must try to shed the teachings which bind us to old myths and blind us to new realities, and, worse still, lead us to regard new and unfamiliar ideas with fear and mistrust. Rather, we must dare to think 'unthinkable thoughts.' We must learn to explore all of the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world. If we are to disabuse ourselves of old myths and to act wisely and creatively upon the new realities of our time."
From India, Ahmadabad
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That's great that you have come forward to break the myths. This would make the HR people think in the right direction. Most of the time, we have an attitude of appointing people we think would perform better. We don't come out of this mindset to try something unconventional and find out the reality in the changing times.
“I believe that we must try to shed the teachings which bind us to old myths and blind us to new realities, and, worse still, lead us to regard new and unfamiliar ideas with fear and mistrust. Rather, we must dare to think 'unthinkable thoughts.' We must learn to explore all of the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world. If we are to disabuse ourselves of old myths and to act wisely and creatively upon the new realities of our time."
From India, Ahmadabad
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Hi Ajmal,
Yes, that was a good article by HR guru Dave Ulrich. Actually, there is one more myth which is said by my friends as well. That is, HR is most suitable for women. I am not speaking against women, but it is changing from record handling departments to something goody-goody people of service departments to something more innovative, a main wedge to the organization, and main change agent fellows. So now HR is becoming so dynamic. It is not just for women; it will be a great swarming ground for men as well.
Whenever my friends comment, I tell them it's life-changing, even in HR.
What do you think about this, Ajmal?
From India, Vadodara
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Yes, that was a good article by HR guru Dave Ulrich. Actually, there is one more myth which is said by my friends as well. That is, HR is most suitable for women. I am not speaking against women, but it is changing from record handling departments to something goody-goody people of service departments to something more innovative, a main wedge to the organization, and main change agent fellows. So now HR is becoming so dynamic. It is not just for women; it will be a great swarming ground for men as well.
Whenever my friends comment, I tell them it's life-changing, even in HR.
What do you think about this, Ajmal?
From India, Vadodara
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Hi Ajmal,
That was a good article by HR guru Dave Ulrich. Actually, there is one more myth which is often mentioned by my friends. They believe that HR is most suitable for women. I am not speaking against women, but the role is evolving from recording handling department to something more innovative, essential to the organization, and a key change agent role. Therefore, HR is becoming dynamic and not just for women. It will be a great playing field for men as well.
Whenever my friends comment, I tell them life is changing, including HR. What do you think about this, Ajmal?
Ya, a really nice article. I did believe that one major skill needed for HRM was the ability to mingle with people. As for women being good at HR, well, that comes naturally to us. On a serious note, I read an article in Business India (latest issue May 23 - Jun 5) that stated women are good in HRM. The article mentioned research findings and statistics supporting this claim. It also highlighted that women possess soft technical skills, and very few require sensitivity training, which is not the same case with men.
Men also perform well in HRM, but when it comes to dealing with IR issues, very few women excel in handling union matters. I am looking forward to your comment.
From India, Mumbai
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That was a good article by HR guru Dave Ulrich. Actually, there is one more myth which is often mentioned by my friends. They believe that HR is most suitable for women. I am not speaking against women, but the role is evolving from recording handling department to something more innovative, essential to the organization, and a key change agent role. Therefore, HR is becoming dynamic and not just for women. It will be a great playing field for men as well.
Whenever my friends comment, I tell them life is changing, including HR. What do you think about this, Ajmal?
Ya, a really nice article. I did believe that one major skill needed for HRM was the ability to mingle with people. As for women being good at HR, well, that comes naturally to us. On a serious note, I read an article in Business India (latest issue May 23 - Jun 5) that stated women are good in HRM. The article mentioned research findings and statistics supporting this claim. It also highlighted that women possess soft technical skills, and very few require sensitivity training, which is not the same case with men.
Men also perform well in HRM, but when it comes to dealing with IR issues, very few women excel in handling union matters. I am looking forward to your comment.
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Sunayna,
I disagree with you and with Business India as well. As you are already pursuing an MBA, you should be aware of how the sample size and survey techniques significantly impact the results.
Men and women both possess equal abilities to handle HR issues, while men, at least in India, tend to have an advantage over women in dealing with IR issues, as often the Union Heads are undereducated and can be rough individuals.
However, this does not imply that men are in any way inferior to women in the field of HR. For instance, if you look at the following data - the best companies to work for in India - and investigate the HR heads of these companies, you will likely find that in 80% of cases, a male is heading the HR function. This demonstrates that males have the capability to elevate their HR departments, policies, and actual functioning to a level where employees not only enjoy working but also thrive.
I am not attempting to diminish the abilities of women, but at the same time, it is incorrect to make distinctions based on gender.
[The list is from 2003; I will share the 2004 list when available.]
Rank Companies
1. Texas Instruments
2. Federal Express India
3. Johnson & Johnson
4. Eli Lilly
5. Philips Software Centre
6. Godrej Consumer Products
7. Wipro-Spectramind
8. Nokia
9. Birla Sun Life Insurance
10. Cadbury India
11. Aviva Life Insurance
12. Tata Teleservices
13. NIIT
14. Ernst & Young SSL
15. Marico
16. AV Birla Group
17. BPCL
18. Hughes Software System
19. Infosys Technologies
20. Max New York Life Insurance
21. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
22. Wipro
23. Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper
24. Anand Group
25. Jisco
I will provide the 2004 list as soon as I can obtain it.
From India, Ahmadabad
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I disagree with you and with Business India as well. As you are already pursuing an MBA, you should be aware of how the sample size and survey techniques significantly impact the results.
Men and women both possess equal abilities to handle HR issues, while men, at least in India, tend to have an advantage over women in dealing with IR issues, as often the Union Heads are undereducated and can be rough individuals.
However, this does not imply that men are in any way inferior to women in the field of HR. For instance, if you look at the following data - the best companies to work for in India - and investigate the HR heads of these companies, you will likely find that in 80% of cases, a male is heading the HR function. This demonstrates that males have the capability to elevate their HR departments, policies, and actual functioning to a level where employees not only enjoy working but also thrive.
I am not attempting to diminish the abilities of women, but at the same time, it is incorrect to make distinctions based on gender.
[The list is from 2003; I will share the 2004 list when available.]
Rank Companies
1. Texas Instruments
2. Federal Express India
3. Johnson & Johnson
4. Eli Lilly
5. Philips Software Centre
6. Godrej Consumer Products
7. Wipro-Spectramind
8. Nokia
9. Birla Sun Life Insurance
10. Cadbury India
11. Aviva Life Insurance
12. Tata Teleservices
13. NIIT
14. Ernst & Young SSL
15. Marico
16. AV Birla Group
17. BPCL
18. Hughes Software System
19. Infosys Technologies
20. Max New York Life Insurance
21. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
22. Wipro
23. Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper
24. Anand Group
25. Jisco
I will provide the 2004 list as soon as I can obtain it.
From India, Ahmadabad
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Hi,
Yes, I agree with Ajmal on this issue. As I mentioned in my earlier post, since the increase in the service industry, there has been a need for more soft-oriented individuals to handle educated employees. At that time, perhaps women were more suited for this role. However, as time has progressed, men have also become competent in handling the soft culture.
Industrial Relations (IR) is more challenging to handle.
This post is intended to clarify my earlier point rather than just adding more points.
Okay, see you.
Bye
From India, Vadodara
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Yes, I agree with Ajmal on this issue. As I mentioned in my earlier post, since the increase in the service industry, there has been a need for more soft-oriented individuals to handle educated employees. At that time, perhaps women were more suited for this role. However, as time has progressed, men have also become competent in handling the soft culture.
Industrial Relations (IR) is more challenging to handle.
This post is intended to clarify my earlier point rather than just adding more points.
Okay, see you.
Bye
From India, Vadodara
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[quote=Ajmal Mirza]
I disagree with you and with Business India as well. As you are already doing an MBA, you should very well know how the sample size and survey techniques make a major difference in the results.
Well... pfft. I'm not doing an MBA yet, but I know what you're talking about.
Hmm... maybe you're right. I'll tell you a proper answer after 10 years when I start working and have experience. But till now, from what I've heard from others, women do well in HR. Not that men don't, but it comes easily to women. There is this sensitivity program... I've heard men go for that training more than women.
From India, Mumbai
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I disagree with you and with Business India as well. As you are already doing an MBA, you should very well know how the sample size and survey techniques make a major difference in the results.
Well... pfft. I'm not doing an MBA yet, but I know what you're talking about.
Hmm... maybe you're right. I'll tell you a proper answer after 10 years when I start working and have experience. But till now, from what I've heard from others, women do well in HR. Not that men don't, but it comes easily to women. There is this sensitivity program... I've heard men go for that training more than women.
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Sunayna,
From what I've heard from others, women tend to excel in HR, although it's not to say that men don't do well in this field. It just seems to come more naturally to women. There is also a sensitivity program that I've heard men participate in more than women.
The same can be said for cooking - it seems to come naturally to women, whereas men may need to undergo training in Hotel Management or catering. However, it is worth noting that some of the world's best chefs are male.
As the topic suggests, "Old myths vs. new realities," I find myself torn between holding onto the myth that males make the best chefs or accepting the reality that proves otherwise.
I hope this helps clarify the discussion. Let me know your thoughts.
From India, Ahmadabad
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From what I've heard from others, women tend to excel in HR, although it's not to say that men don't do well in this field. It just seems to come more naturally to women. There is also a sensitivity program that I've heard men participate in more than women.
The same can be said for cooking - it seems to come naturally to women, whereas men may need to undergo training in Hotel Management or catering. However, it is worth noting that some of the world's best chefs are male.
As the topic suggests, "Old myths vs. new realities," I find myself torn between holding onto the myth that males make the best chefs or accepting the reality that proves otherwise.
I hope this helps clarify the discussion. Let me know your thoughts.
From India, Ahmadabad
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Hi to all,
I am an MBA student, and I have completed my internship project on Dave Ulrich's 4 HR functional roles model. I have examined its application in a hospitality-based company, even a renowned one. Now, I have to provide my analysis and conclusions. Can anyone suggest what I should include and what I should not?
Thank you.
From India, Udaipur
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I am an MBA student, and I have completed my internship project on Dave Ulrich's 4 HR functional roles model. I have examined its application in a hospitality-based company, even a renowned one. Now, I have to provide my analysis and conclusions. Can anyone suggest what I should include and what I should not?
Thank you.
From India, Udaipur
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