The Dark-Side of Human Resource Management
I know of a company’s human resources department that has distilled a person’s career down to two simple sentences in a company-wide announcement. When employees are dismissed, terminated, or leave of their own accord, they send out this one simple and consistent announcement via e-mail, regardless of the reason of departure:
This is to announce that Employee Name has left the company effective April 14, 2008. We would like to thank Name for her contributions to the company and wish her success in her future endeavors.
Is this what we have reduced ourselves to in the corporate world? A person, a human being, a dedicated individual can give years of her career to this company and this is how it ends? Have our organizations become so “corporate” that this is the best we can do? Especially when the employee is being let go due to a managerial decision to down-size or restructure? What of all the countless hours she has invested in making this organization countless dollars? What about the creativitiy and talent she has contributed over years and years of service?
In a case like this how do we continue to call the department the Human Resources Department? There is nothing human left and we certainly can not call this good management! An organization like this has taken the lazy way out and distilled the announcement down to two “form-letter” sentences. From a marketing standpoint, this is absolutely brutal internal PR. It is not good for morale at all. What message does it send to all her colleagues? What confidence does it give the other employees that the organization cares about them at all? Are we just drones? It destroys the corporate culture and many of the best employees will choose not to work in an environment where they are not valued as people. Work is more than money, or have we lost sight of that somewhere?
Would you want to work for an organization like this? How would you feel if you were let go and your years of service were reduced to this? Can’t we do better? I say, yes indeed we should – and yes indeed we can! I would encourage you to value your employees. Treat them with respect. Create a culture where people are excited to be a part of the team, realizing that they are contributing to the mission and vision of the organization. Imagine the quality of employees you will attract and keep. This is how your organization will succeed! When it comes time for them to depart, celebrate them as people and celebrate or honour their contribution to your organization. Your internal PR will be stellar if you can do this.
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