Online Reporter
Dr Request Machimbira
MORE than two decades ago, I eagerly anticipated joining the human resources (HR) fraternity, envisioning a profession that championed the welfare of employees.
HR was the beacon of hope, the guardian of employee well-being and bridge between workers and management.
However, over the years, I have witnessed a radical departure from the core that has left me disheartened and concerned.
The HR profession seems to have abandoned its core mandate, leaving employees to fend for themselves in a jungle of corporate interests.
As the global economy faced turbulent times, the HR profession underwent a metamorphosis.
The human resources business partner model emerged, and HR professionals donned new hats, rebranding themselves as human resources business partners.
On paper, it looked like a brilliant idea — aligning HR with business objectives and driving profitability. However, this shift in focus came at a steep cost.
HR began to prioritise the bottom line over people, forgetting that its primary role was to support employees, not just drive profits.
Loss of identity
As HR professionals started to prioritise cost containment and profitability, they began to lose their identity. The profession became stressed and the once-noble ideals of HR were sacrificed at the altar of corporate interests.
Stringent remuneration models became the new norm, stripping employees of their dignity and worth. HR practitioners were no longer advocates for employees but rather proxies for management, tasked with enforcing policies that benefitted the company at the expense of its workers.
The most egregious consequence of HR’s shift in focus is the abandonment of employees.
HR practitioners stopped responding to applications, ceased checking on sick or unwell employees and became unapproachable.
The profession that was once the custodian of employee welfare had become a mere spectator, watching as employees struggled to navigate the complexities of the workplace.
Some practitioners have actually retired without having conducted a single coaching or counselling session.
Indeed, the profession neglected employee enablement even on performance issues.
More often than not, they responded to performance issues using the code of conduct.
Surely, employees have been abandoned.
Rise of litigious HR
Over the years, HR practitioners began to study law, not to support employees but to fight them. The profession became litigious, with HR functions donning legal boxing gloves to battle employees. In-house conciliation of disputes died and the workplace became a war zone. Companies started looking for labour lawyers, not to resolve disputes amicably but to shield themselves against their own staff.
HR facilitated the battle of power and purse.
The HR profession’s quest for power and recognition escalated over the years.
The mantra of “seat on the table” became a rallying cry, with a good number of HR professionals securing board appointments.
However, this has not translated to HR leadership in the boardrooms.
Instead, it has been a cynical exercise in power politics, with HR professionals driving an agenda that prioritises corporate interests over employee well-being.
The seat on the table effectively solemnised HR’s marriage to management.
The two have become one flesh.
From champion to adversary
The HR profession, once a revered guardian of employee enablement, has abandoned its safeguarding role.
The betrayal is two-fold. Not only have HR professionals failed to protect employees from abuse and harassment, but some have also compromised themselves through inappropriate relationships with staff.
The profession has been marred by scandals of sexual harassment, abuse of student attachments and corrupt practices such as taking bribes for employment or consulting opportunities. There is need for a return to the core values of HR — protecting, supporting and advocating for employees, not betraying them.
HR practitioners should rediscover their passion for people.
Employee enablement should be a top priority. The time has come for HR to reclaim its rightful place as the champion of employee well-being and performance optimisation.
Dr Request Machimbira is the executive director of Proficiency Consulting Group International. He is a leading, multi-award-winning human resources expert, strategy facilitator, board trainer, team building coach, wellness consultant, independent labour arbitrator, board chairperson and published author. He writes in his personal capacity. For feedback, email [email protected] or phone +263772693404.
