HR Function - Lets cut the crap shall we

HR Transformation. HR becoming a partner to the business. Next generation HR. Strategic HR. Ditching the bell-curve in performance management.

Most modern literature on the HR function is incomplete without such heavy weight terms. Go to any HR symposium or conclave, it will be raining there with such terms. In the beginning it all sounds cool and interesting, the people or ‘leaders’ speaking and writing seems expert in their fields and domains. But then all the hype withers away when you see the actual realities of the function in various organizations, the very same people failing consistently in what they preach.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb has coined a term IYI short for ‘Intellectual yet Idiot’ especially in reference to economists and journalists, however perhaps it is even more so applicable to the HR people. The actual business of HR is Business, however we do everything other than that. The function that is supposed to provide credible training and learning programs to the whole organization is itself populated with untrained idiots, or worse, trained idiots. The relatively new role of ‘HR Business Partner’ which was originally suggested by Dave Ulrich has been misinterpreted and misrepresented to such an extent that it has basically reduced to a generalist operations role.

You will be surprised to know how many HR professionals, even at senior levels have never heard about Dave Ulrich, let alone having read his work. We are supposed to design the induction programs for the entire organization, but there never exists any sort of induction for the people who will give this induction. People hide their incompetence and inefficiency with twisted scientific-istic words and jargon, which even the listener know that its BS. HR is perhaps one of the most incompetent and inefficient function in the entire organization and that's why it is always busy justifying why it is so important and relevant.