Fortune’s 2014 list
of the 100 Best Companies to Work for has a perennial favorite at the top of
its rankings… Google.
In 2007,
Business Week cited Google as “a hot stock, but it’s even hotter as a desirable
place to work” because of the attention that Google pays to hiring and keeping
the best people on board.
Google not only
views their people as their greatest asset, they reflect this organizational
attitude by treating their people as valuable assets. Unfortunately, the vast
majority of business, industry and government organizations profess that “Our
people are our greatest asset”, yet fail to follow through by demonstrating
that it is actually true.
The sad truth of
the matter is that most employees don’t even get the proverbial pat on the back
or hear their boss thank them for a job well done.
From a practical
perspective, the people at every level of your organization are in reality far
more valuable than any piece of equipment, software or robotics will ever be.
In like fashion, your people also represent your organization’s highest
operational expense.
What Google and
the other great places to work realize is that their people, like their other
physical equipment will break down and fail to perform unless they are properly
maintained. This analogy equates directly to the classic industrial expression
about production line equipment being “Finely tuned and well oiled”.
Vehicles,
machinery and computers all require maintenance servicing and repair in order
to remain in top working condition and performing at their best. Your people
are no different, as they require attitude adjustments, motivation tune-ups and
learning opportunities and upgrades.
When it comes to
your people being your organization’s greatest asset, the pertinent question is
whether your organization is actually walking its talk. The litmus test rests
with your organization’s commitment to elevate talent retention, team building
and leadership development to the level of being a strategic priority.
There isn’t any
fudge factor on these issues, as the answer should be just as obvious to your
organization as it is to your people. Following below are some clear warning
signs that your organization may not stand up to greatest asset litmus test:
HR has the wrong priority. The classic analogy that you can’t chase two rabbits lies at the heart
of the functional purpose of HR in your organization. It is impossible to
develop talent while elevating people and productivity if your organization is
managing HR as a finance function. If your organization holds the attitude that
salaries and benefits are a cost (not an investment in talent/people) that
equates to attaching a vacuum hose to your bottom line, you’re not walking your
talk.
Recruiting isn’t about talent. Is your organization processing job candidates like a cattle auction
processes livestock, rather than earnest identifying key individuals that could
be valued contributors to your organization? If your recruiting unit is a black
hole where qualified resumes never see the light of day, you’re walking the
wrong talk.
The HR executive is a second-class leader. If your organization truly values talent, then your HR leader will be
esteemed and operate at the same level as the rest of the executive leadership
team.
HR is a cost cutting monitor. If your organization’s primary HR function is cost control, then it is
operating as an extension of your finance unit. You can’t be dedicated to
acquiring and managing talent, if you’re focused on shaving nickels and dimes
from your benefit program premiums.
Critical people functions are outsourced. If your “greatest assets” have to address their employee issues to a
disconnected and dispassionate overseas entity, your organization is expressing
a lack of value and appreciation for its people. Your people will find it
unsettling to open up with a stranger that is half way around the world about
sensitive job issues. Talented people will feel devalued, become demotivated
and seek better opportunities elsewhere.
Your Operation Isn’t Unified. Many organizations have adopted the practice of having a separate
organizational development group to for the creation of the organization’s
culture and leadership strength. A worthy HR executive would never allow the
critical loss of leadership development, mentoring, succession planning and
performance management to be removed and reassigned to an independent OD group.
The purpose of HR is to recruit talent, develop said talent and ultimately put
a winning team on the field every business day.
If your
organization is exhibiting any of these warning signs, then you’ve got some
urgent work to do before you retake the “Our People Are Our Greatest Asset”
litmus test. Your organization should also realize that any of these warning
signs are also preventing you from winning the marketplace competition to
acquire the best and brightest talent.
The Leadership
Academy… Changing the way organizations
and people work, perform and live!
Copyright © 2014 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank,
