Author: Laura Mazzullo

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HR, stop taking orders.

Last week, I attended an informative talk hosted by Udemy for Business featuring @Laurie Rebholz, Director of Professional Development at Citibank. Laurie openly shared her exceptional insights into current Learning/Development trends and innovation within this space. One of my biggest take-aways from this event came when Laurie said that today’s development professionals must be consultative, listen to leaders and coach them. Not just ‘take orders’.

This stopped me in my tracks, and got me thinking about all areas of HR, including Talent Acquisition.

Have we all at one point or another fell into the habit of ‘taking orders’?

Imagine how different the dynamic becomes between hiring managers and Recruiters or between employees and HR leaders when all parties involved believe they are working in tandem, as partners, with a shared common goal. This really got me thinking…

HR: let’s stop taking orders.

How often have you felt you have been trapped in this dynamic? Your employees/managers run to you with problems, expect you to find solutions and aren’t interested in being part of the process. They just delegate to you and unload on you. Both parties are guilty of being reactive, not proactive. There is no collaboration. There is no partnership. There is no listening. There is only demanding and expecting. This is not the dynamic of a stellar working relationship, but rather one of an order taker and someone taking orders.

Imagine how much better it would be as an HR professional if the business came to you as a trusted partner. Imagine if you proactively worked with the business in their efforts, as both parties brainstormed together to find creative solutions to problems and challenges. How advantageous would it be if both parties had more empathy and compassion for one another and listened to everyone’s perspective and expertise?

This is often a common conundrum in Talent Acquisition. Talent Acquisition professionals often feel like their hiring managers are just giving them orders around open roles, without making the time and effort to communicate with them or heed their advice and counsel.

I don’t have all the answers on how this can improve for everyone, but I know it starts by making more an effort to be aware of these habits. HR/Talent Acquisition, next time you feel like a manager is giving you orders and not treating you with respect, STOP. Think about what you can do to nurture that relationship. How can you gain more trust and partnership from them? Set the tone for how you want to be treated in business, and how you can better partner together. HR/Talent Acquisition becomes a trusted business partner when it stops taking orders, and starts working in partnership. The dynamic must be equal in respect and trust.

Would love your thoughts on this topic. How have you managed to stop the pattern of ‘order taking’ in HR and navigated your way to more of a trusted business partner? Please share below!

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