Why HR is so difficult..

It has become virtually impossible to find the ideal HR head - at least in IT companies. When this happens so repeatedly, it is time to suspect that there is something wrong in the way we are defining the job, in our expectations of the role-holder – it seems to me we are designing the role for failure. A good HR needs to run a tight ship – highly process-oriented, because he has to apply policies transparently across thousands of employees. He has to be ruthless with non-performers, uncompromising with values, and fiercely protective of the corporate budget. This calls for a certain kind of person. At the same time, the HR head has to be compassionate caring and human – he has to develop people, instil courage and confidence in them, not fear and loathing. He has to have the ‘personal touch’, he has to be everybody’s friend and guide. Can the same person so both? I don’t think so. I think it is time to recognize that we need to redefine the function – maybe split the function into two, maybe get someone under the HR head to run the processes and ask the HR head to stay out of compensation, appraisal and policy implementation discussions – whatever works. But the current way we are defining the role absolutely guarantees failure..