Why resources are human

Over the decades, I’ve noticed when you tell people you work in human resources they inevitably pucker their face like they’ve swallowed a lemon or say things like “Oh, I’m so sorry, that must be really difficult.”

What they are missing is the realization that each of us is involved in human resources, because we all work with people on a daily basis.

Take the front desk receptionist at a pediatrician’s office as an example. Their ability to assist with anxious parents and sick children can determine whether a family returns for another visit or begins looking for a new doctor. Or what about the stay-at-home parent who serves on the PTO? Their ability to manage a group of volunteers can be the key to additional school supplies or extra activities that are not funded by the district.

Regardless of a person’s role or career choice, each of us should develop an awareness of the different personalities in our surroundings and learn to navigate these relationships.

A successful business eventually boils down to its people. By understanding your human resources, or “human capital,” you can be a more effective leader, create brand loyalty, increase sales and, ultimately, be more profitable.

To accomplish this, get to know your employees and what makes them tick. A night owl might prefer a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule, an early riser may want to beat the traffic on I-95 and start at 7 a.m., and an employee with an aging parent may need an extended lunch periodically to accompany their loved one to appointments.

And why not? Given today’s digital age, not everyone has to be at the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and schedule flexibility is a top consideration among job seekers.

Employees with flexible schedules are more productive, take fewer sick days and report increased job satisfaction.

A 2016 Forbes article stated that 45 percent of employees intend to remain with their employer for less than two years and another industry study emphasizes the cost of this high turnover — 33 percent of an employee’s salary may be spent hiring and training a replacement.

Managers who increase job satisfaction and loyalty significantly save a company money and training time.

Personality differences are another human resources factor that is often overlooked. This goes back to learning what is important to your employees and avoiding the “round peg in a square hole” syndrome. Leaders can easily — and often unwittingly — alienate rather than engage their employees. I routinely see this occurring with simple communications such as text messages and emails, which may not accurately portray the sender’s tone of voice.

As a human resources executive with close to 20 years in the field, I’ve mediated hundreds of conflicts where a simple phone call would have resolved the problem.

In the digital age where emailing and texting rule the day, keep in mind that more than half of a message is communicated by the individual’s tone and body language. A verbal conversation conveys a clearer message and can mean everything to your employee and your customer — it shows you notice and appreciate them. I think that is the single most important sentence in this article.

We are all involved in the business of being human, both in and out of the workplace. Ensure your customer, your employee, your family member, or whoever you interact with, understands that you value them, and accommodate their schedules to support what is important in their lives. These small changes can have a significant impact on your bottom line and your relationships.

Karen Gathercole is the Associate Vice President of Human Resources for Florida Institute of Technology. She has an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Florida Tech, a B.A. from the University of Oregon, and 18 years management experience in Human Resources. She has been certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) since 2008, a Certified HealthCare Reform Specialist (CHRS) since 2013, and a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRMCP) since 2015. Karen is the Chair of the Human Resources Advisory Council for ICUBA- Independent College and University Benefits Association, and President of the South Brevard Society for Human Resource Management.

Columnist series are sponsored by weVENTURE, at Florida Institute of Technology’s Nathan M. Bisk College of Business. weVENTURE has locations in Melbourne and Rockledge (by appointment only). The Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information, visit weventure.fit.edu or call 321-674-7007.