Partnering to build engaging experiences and teams that propel organizational performance | LinkedIn Top Voice | Adjunct faculty, content expert and speaker in #Culture, #EmployeeExperience, #EmployeeEngagement
So, I stumbled upon this gem of an article recently (images below) that asserts our purpose in #HR is to "form friendships" at work and therefore we are "better off" donning our party hats and confetti cannons than being "ground into the vortex" of HR work. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always dreamed of orchestrating office karaoke showdowns and ensuring the breakroom donuts have appropriate variety. Afterall, that not only creates REAL connections at work but is also a driver to genuine #culture and #employeeengagement, right? Who needs data driven decisions when we could instead be blowing up balloons!🎈 Career growth and workforce plans? Nah, host a dance party instead! 💃🕺 Why spend time on creating a talent brand and value proposition when instead we can host the office talent show! 🎊 Strategic compensation and retention planning? Shelve that in favor of coordinating a pickleball tournament! 🎾 Talent development and engagement? Why waste your time when there's an office snack bar to stock! 🍓 The actual examples in the article include - an office choir and a weekly BBQ. (Thanks to Brice Johnson for sending the article to me - yes this article is real, yes it was published in a legitimate periodical, and yes it was written in 2024 ... and yes connections and intentional culture curation are important but we are certainly not "better off" planning choirs and BBQs, especially since there are more genuine ways to create connections)
You better add "Party Planner" to your headline so everyone knows what you do Angela. Obviously not written by someone who has any experience in HR.
This is solidly in ‘both of these things can be true’ territory for me. I love how HR has evolved into an increasingly strategic discipline with real business impact, but there IS value in having someone (or several someones) who own all of the important initiatives that support and sustain a culture that people *want* to be part of.
Checking boxes and fearing lawyers???? We're the only ones helping to protect your funky butt when an employee is disgruntled.
This is funny. If it makes you feel a tiny bit better, most survey results show that if an employee has a friend at work they are more engaged and less likely to leave - so it's a little data driven at least. 😂🤷♀️