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or a long time, companies saw their employees as a mere resource in the organisation. This meant Human Resources (HR) acted as a department whose functions should include adding value to the organisation's financial, intellectual and economic capital. In other words, as an interface between capital and work, two fields that are often opposite.
Today, few companies do without an HR department or someone assigned to this role.
The people responsible for HR are expected to carry out tasks related to the hiring of new employees - from recruitment to selection -, but also support in:
- Conflict management;
- Career development;
- HR audit;
- Administration of holidays and sick leave;
- Payroll;
- Cultura;
- Etc..
Many employees also expect a more “human” side and a more proactive field of action focused on their needs, also hoping that it will be a department they can turn to in case of injustices - harassment at work, unequal salaries, disagreements with colleagues, etc.. However, in practice and above all in terms of actual action, this will always depend on the company and even on the professionals who make up the HR/people department.
Since the 90s - and following the digital transformation of companies and the industry - HR has entered the age of people management, with a greater focus on talent and human capital management. For companies with HR departments, these terms represented a leap towards modernity. Since then, we have also seen the improvement of legislation (generally more favourable to employees), in which the alignment of HR policies and the institutional mission tend to go hand in hand.
Where are we now?
Currently, not only do we live in a more technological world, but we have recently lived one of the most intense experiences on a global scale. We are talking, of course, about Covid-19. With the pandemic, not only our personal lives and our individual freedoms were affected - there was also a clear impact on our work environment/space.
Recently, in the "Fórum Gestão de Pessoas" (People Management Forum), held in November 2021 in Maputo, Mozambique, Pedro Ramos, CEO of KeepTalent and Ambassador of DCH Lusofonia (and former HR director of TAP), spoke precisely of this change. He said that “we live in a more fragile world, without absolute truths, and the changes that the pandemic has brought to the world of work are clear. The motto is now 'make it flexible'". During his speech, he explained precisely this, demonstrating that today there seems to be a greater concern and care for the physical, mental and emotional health of employees, stressing how important it is to listen to them - “listen with your ears, with your eyes and with your heart". We do not live in a “new normal”, but rather “a new better”, he added.
Do HR and their organisations go into a path of greater humanisation when placing people at the centre of their attention? Is this “humanisation” of HR and companies a natural evolution or a consequence of the times we live in?
Balancing the personal and professional spheres of life
In order to get an answer to this, we cannot forget the “other side”. In this case, the employees.
It's just that, today, they also want more. And when we talk about more, we don't just mean higher wages - although this remains an important aspect.
We are referring to better working conditions, flexible hours, flexible benefits and other types of compensation beyond salary, among other things. In other words: aspects that contribute to a better balance between the personal and professional spheres of employees' lives.
Phenomena such as digital nomadism or Great Resignation prove this: employees make professional choices in search of work (or even jobs) that allow them to enjoy more, whether in family life or in their hobbies.
This is not about quitting or changing jobs. It's also not about going to a company closer to home or wanting a higher salary. It is, rather, the need to achieve that balance.
At the same time, many employees seem to feel (and prove) that when they work in the conditions they desire, their productivity is not affected. Many even feel that they are more productive.
In the case of Great Resignation, Isabel Viegas, Coordinator of the "Leading HR into the Future" Program, even stated in a webinar led by Coverflex on this topic that this phenomenon and this new way of looking at work had also arrived to Portugal. According to her, it is important “to think of these new forms of work as an offer of value”. After all, just as it is important for employees to contribute to the business, it is also essential that they have positive experiences, as that alone will make them stay.
In the case of Great Resignation, Isabel Viegas, Coordinator of the "Leading HR into the Future" Program, even stated in a webinar led by Coverflex on this topic that this phenomenon and this new way of looking at work had also arrived to Portugal. According to her, it is important “to think of these new forms of work as an offer of value”. After all, just as it is important for employees to contribute to the business, it is also essential that they have positive experiences, as that alone will make them stay.
And, we dare say, this alone will make companies able to ensure that the best people will stay.
For this reason, in addition to working conditions, it is now important for organisations to invest more in Human Resources. Aligned with empathetic management, this department can make all the difference in retaining talent and attracting the best people.
This also means looking at employees as unique people, respecting their personalities and wishes. For instance:
- Are they more productive in the afternoon than in the morning? Then why not let them start working later in the day?
- Do they have children? Then why not make office hours more flexible?
- Do they show interest in leading and would they like to be a team lead? Then why not give them that opportunity, instead of reaching out to someone outside the organisation?
We remind you that it is important that managers and HR professionals in each organisation are aligned in the way they see and treat their employees, contributing to their professional and personal development.
After all, just as it happens in life, relationships at work that are positively led will bring countless benefits to all those involved.
