By: Michael Hagan

Michael Hagan — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:17:45 +0000

Interesting read as always Kevin.
Coming from being both a senior OHS manager and then an HR GM (then both!!!), I’ve seen it from all angles. We really should have a catch up one day.
It’s easy to give HR a flogging for lots of things (even things they don’t deserve). The one person who is successful in an internal job application is happy, the other ten will blame HR, not their lesser suitability to a role. The person who raises an allegation that is then subsequently investigated, is never happy that they are not given verse and chapter of the entire investigation, and just the outcome. Boooo Hisssss, clearly a cover up!
Problems are usually escalated to HR (and OHS) when the horse has well and truly bolted, and HR have to try to make a good fist of a poor hand while maintaining a semblance of professional veneer for the organization in question. This is never viewed well from any angle.
That said, while I have huge empathy with HR in relation to the above, there is VERY often a tendency to covet and hold information, often for good reason in relation to all things privacy and data security, but also often because loss of knowledge is seen as loss of power.
This is where the (significant) burr under the saddle arises in attempts to manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. How dare those folk in OHS conduct their risk assessments and then tell us the work design changes of five years ago are causing people harm! Never well received in the HR camp.
The irony here is too many people think that HR are actually designing the work in the first place. My experience is that more often than not the plan is the plan and comes down from upon high and HR are told to make it work…..and then get defensive five years down the line when someone in OHS calls out the poor work design HR did not actually like in the first place.
So, whats the answer? Well, it’s not trying to convince HR that OHS are right, nor the visa vera.
It’s getting in front of the head of an organisation and explaining the internal rift that is inevitably happening in most organisations who are making a serious attempt at tackling psychosocial risk. It’s essential to bring the C-suite up to speed with the wide horizon of psychosoial risk and the necessity for all the players to….play nice!
But who are the gate keepers to accessing the heads of organisations….oh bugger, that would be HR!

Comments on: The Spiritualism of HR

By: Michael Hagan