Bring Back the “Human” in Human Resources

When you ask yourself or others why you work the answer is often accompanied by a blank smile. You smile because you know you have to work. But the smile is blank because you have no idea why you have to. Do you have to work to survive or because it’s enjoyable and meaningful?

The world of work is in a state of transition. The value of work has become so utilitarian—making money to pay bills—that we have taken all meaning out of it.

It is now facing a new direction. The financial crises beginning in 2006 stimulated changes across the board for work and life. What has been brought to a clear forefront is the nature of economics, work and business as usual. Corporate scandals, corruption, greed, housing crises, bailouts and bonuses have all become topics for household discussion and fodder for late night talk show hosts. Employees—people—have become disposable. Why have we let this happen? And, more importantly, why do we let this continue to happen?

It has to do with the way we view the world, our place in it and our values. Most organizations have operated under a mechanistic mindset for the better part of the century, chugging and churning away toward and idealized notion of progress. Contemporary human resources claim to focus on the human and the resource, however these claims are just not true. For too long they have focused on the resource side, using the same mechanistic language and processes to refer to their employees. They view their employees as “capital to be invested in” or “resources to be utilized.” This mechanistic/industrial model has forced us to abandon fundamental values about how we treat each other.

Losing sight of these values is destroying our economy and culture. Job rates are lower than ever, and job satisfaction is down too, not just as the result of a weak economy. Population pressures, pollution and stress are now normal facets of our existence. The American population actually reached its peak happiness in the 1950s and has steadily declined since. An ultimate low point undoubtedly has been reached with the recent recession.

What we need is a new paradigm to the way we view work—one that we are all calling for in our hearts and souls. We have placed enough attention on the resources side and need to bring back the human in HR. This will bring about a more engaged workforce, further stimulating the economy and our quality of life.

Tracing the ages
To understand where this new paradigm is going, we must understand where it came from. Since the early 1900s, the industrial model has dominated the American workplace. At its onset, the model presented companies with mechanized improvements offering increased efficiency and productive capacity. Machines and production lines replaced hands-on craftsmanship for goods and services. This revolution presented American workers with more opportunities to raise their socio-economic status and with the allure of the American Dream.

In the late 1900s and early 2000s, another transition occurred—the Technological Revolution, or Information Age. Workers again fled one site for another, leaving the factory for the office cubicle, where computers replaced hand tools. The same set of industrial rules and culture applied. Workers reported for duty, clocking in from 9 to 5 under the watchful eye of their superiors. They processed paperwork, wrote program codes or developed marketing schemes. They received employee identification numbers along with guidelines and instruction manuals. Their role within organizations was as component parts of a system.

Looking back, in the grand scheme of things, the industrial system is relatively young and short-lived. When millions of workers lost their jobs, retirement plans and homes, it was clear that the model had some pitfalls.

The problem with the industrial model is two-fold:

1. It relies on the perception that endless growth and progress, dependent upon inexhaustible resources, is needed to secure the future of human society; and
2. Component parts, whether human or machine, must be maintained.

We know now that planetary resources are, in fact, finite and limited. You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. We also know that human beings are not mechanized parts of a system and seek further goals in life. These facts prove both points above to be incompatible with any future development and decry a coming (or the current) change.

The effects of change
The “Great Transition” is upon us.

Charles Darwin, in his theory of natural selection, was often misquoted as saying evolution is driven by “survival of the fittest.” What he actually meant to say, correcting himself later, was that it is driven by “survival of the most responsive to change.”

Currently, companies that are thriving (Google, etc.) not only have a tight business plan and immensely valuable services but also are returning back to an older model of workforce engagement. They are bringing back the human in human resources, recognizing that their workers have needs, feelings and goals in life.

The new paradigm
Previous times were more polarized, but we believe in the concept of “both/and.” The new paradigm acknowledges the accomplishments of the industrial and tech revolutions and their mechanistic views. It is both a testament to those models and a reacknowledgement of human needs and values.

For example, employee engagement surveys have traditionally been very impersonal and scientific. Psychology and statistics now deem how much one is “engaged” by his or her work through a series of numbers and supposed inferences. Standing alone, these surveys fall short of actually cultivating engagement. We believe they have immense value but should never be used in lieu of human-to-human accountability.

What this new model is straying away from is the treatment of employees as components of a system. They are no longer just numbers or working parts. They are valuable members of an organization or a community working toward a common goal. They form relationships with each other and develop true senses of teamwork and collaboration.

This new paradigm is a boomerang thrown into the wind because it challenges the status quo and the establishment. Things are changing inevitably, so it is up to all of us—including our leadership—to adapt so that we may thrive.

The authors are with FutureSense Inc, a consulting firm specializing in the areas of organization and people. Jim Finkelstein is the author of Fuse: Making Sense of the New Cogenerational Workplace™, which is available at www.fusethebook.com.