Stop Talking About Diversity

You read that right. Stop.

Here's why...

All Talk
Many organizations, leaders, and employees claim to be be pro-diversity. They preach fairness for all...a culture of support and risk-taking...and the joke-of-all-time...an open door policy.

They're lying.

All of that talk does nothing except disappoint. Why? There is no follow through. There is no real risk-taking...and there certainly isn't an investment in diversity in a meaningful way for most companies.

Mirror Time
Let's do a little self-assessment of ourselves and our organizations, shall we?

1.  Do you have a Chief Diversity Officer?

2.  If not, have you aggressively advocated for one?

3.  Do you reward employees for taking risks; or, is your corporate culture based on a small group of leaders (typically pale and male) deciding who is a "good fit?"

4.  Does your organization recognize the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday?

5.  Do your benefits policies include employees who are part of the LGBT community?

6.  Do you focus on having a diverse slate of candidates for open positions?

7.  Are wages for men and women in similar roles....similar?

8.  If not, how are you possibly justifying that values-based decision? (Yes, it is a statement about your corporate values.)

How About You
The list of priorities around diversity is a long one. I've highlighted a fraction of those opportunities here...the proverbial low-hanging-fruit we all love to take care of right away.

Are you going to pick this fruit in your organization?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Leaner, Faster, Better...HR 2050?

What are the core competencies for Human Resources? What are we expected to deliver to our organizations not only on a day-to-day basis, but strategically over time? Are we destined to be burdened with the transactional processing that is so inherent in onboarding and terminating staff? Do the benefits programs need to be administered as part of the HR department; or is an alternative vendor solution the most practical?

How about technology...do we need to invest in onsite software solutions, licenses, updates, and even more licenses as our organizations grow? What about recruiting...can that function be completely transitioned out of the organization despite the fact that an external vendor might not fully appreciate our corporate culture?

Hmm...heavy issues. Can you answer why these and other human resources services should stay inside the four walls of your company versus taking a different approach? Do you realistically need all of these services on your payroll?

Change Happens Faster Than I Can Blink
I've put my team through a tidal wave of change over the past ten months. We've added and subtracted from our group, radically changed processes, invested in new strategies, partnered with new vendors, and taken lots and lots of risks. I'm pushing them to do it all.

To do it all...is it necessary to do it all considering how the world of HR is changing?

The Future is Bright...and Focused
I don't believe the HR function is going to look the same in the years to come as it does today. The need to focus human resources' skill set on employee communication, sourcing and recruiting talent, and being active in the operations of our organizations is going to dominate our future. Processing and administrative tasks may very well stay within our span of control, but I suspect it will be done through vendor relationships or support departments outside of HR. The skilled HR leaders will move their organizations to this model, and deliver results not seen in the past.

How About You

Are you ready to begin the transition to a new world of human resources that is deeply involved in your company's operations? Are you willing to take the risks necessary to let go of the safe and comfortable tasks that focus on processing but never impact the bottom line? Or, maybe it's just a safer play to develop a new form..yeah, that feels a lot better doesn't it?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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