With human resources professionals slowly gaining more acceptance as a necessary part of the administrative team in many private schools, this month we wanted to take a broad look at two types of HR professionals. Consider the following conversation.
“We have an HR manager at our school who’s nothing but a ‘comforter-in-chief,’” a Division Head was recently overhead telling a peer from another school. “Everyone knows that’s where you go when you want to have a good cry and rant about how your supervisor is an awful person.”
“Really? Wow—it’s just the opposite at our school,” his friend replied. “Our HR person is just a paper processor … she’s all about making sure you fill out the forms and dot the i’s and cross the t’s. No one in their right mind would dare go to her for warmth or compassion—because they wouldn’t get any.”
Are either (or both) of these accurate descriptions of most HR people in schools (and elsewhere)? And, if they are, should it be? The answer to both (we hope) is no.
If Human Resources is all about letting people vent—without helping move them toward productive action resolving their own issues—then it falls far short of its purpose. Conversely, if its main focus is filling out the forms and there is nothing “human” about “HR,” then it falls equally short, albeit in the opposite direction.
HR-As-Social-Worker Model
We knew an HR person once who was a model example of “HR-as-social worker.” He was an absolutely wonderful and caring person—but he couldn’t let go of his social work and Peace Corps background, constantly wanting to hire and fix troubled employees. His purpose was true and noble, but misaligned with his role. Of course, the HR function should always care deeply about the employees (faculty, staff, and administrators) that they support. At the same time, HR needs to balance the best interests of the employee with the best interests of the school at large—remembering that, in the end, it’s all about the students, really.
We always need to support employee growth and development whenever and wherever we can. What we can’t do is play social worker, trying to fix every ill. We provide resources—Employee Assistance Programs, a comforting ear, a kind word, and a path forward—but a certain point, it’s up to the employee to take the bull by the horns and seize the opportunities and resources they’re being given. If they don’t do so, in the best interests of the students and the school community at large, we need to let go of the idea that we can fix them … and we need to move forward with others who can serve the needs of the school.
HR-As-Paper-Processor Model
By the same token, if HR is all about the paperwork, it’s equally out of balance. The paper work (i.e., compliance with legal and benefits requirements) is important (and must be done well)—but it is a means to an end, not an end itself. If the personnel files are in perfect order but we don’t take time to lend an ear to an employee going through a family crisis that is impacting performance, we’ve missed an opportunity to support the employee (and in turn, the performance of the school).
Finding the Balance
HR professionals in schools (and elsewhere) need to constantly walk a fine line, balancing the needs of the employee with the needs of the school. If they lose focus and stray too far to one side or the other, they end up falling far short of the function’s true purpose—that is, to help all levels of employees work together effectively as positive resources for the school’s development.
