Looking back over my years in HR....
Looking back over my years in HR…
So, imagine the workplace….not everyone has a computer, only those that really need it for their job role, those that do have one it’s a desk top PC, monitors have a deep back, no flatscreens here, mobile phones aren’t really a thing yet and this new-fangled internet makes a right racket of a noise when you dial it up!! I’m describing a typical office in the mid 1990’s and I was in an office job with an agency, running payroll for around 400 temps a week. Then, the organisation wanted to apply for Investors in People status so they supported me in gaining my Certificate in Personnel Practice (CPP, now replaced by the level 3 CIPD qualification) and my HR career was kick-started.
Back in those days, we had the likes of Oasis, Def Leppard and Robson & Jerome hitting the charts and Home Alone in the cinema (for the first time!). And in UK employment law, we had legal protection for Race Relations, Sex Discrimination, Equal Pay and TUPE but were awaiting DDA, Age Discrimination, IR35, Working Time Regulations, Minimum Wage, Equality Act and more.
So much has changed since then, mostly for the better and mostly making positive progress. Looking back, some things from then seem just old fashioned whereas some you could genuinely call retro, and some even come back on trend! Take music for example, cassettes were awful, CDs have fallen by the wayside but vinyl is having a retro comeback! In legal terms, holiday pay wasn’t particularly legislated back then, since that time we have had the working time regulations and all the subsequent case law (Stringer, Bear Scotland, Brazel, etc) and now the government have indicated more changes for holiday pay coming next year, including bringing back “rolled up” holiday pay!
The biggest changes over my HR career are in two main areas….organisational culture / management style and, of course, the technology!
We’ve gone global as a society; we’ve moved from a more autocratic management style to a meritocratic approach; we take on ideas and improvements from other cultures; and we invest in our employees and their wellbeing.
Looking at the technology, its like another world from then to now! And the change continues at a pace with new functionality and developments on a regular basis. Some of these changes will present an opportunity for HR professionals such as the ability to now collect and analyse large quantities of data to provide meaningful information that can support initiatives and predict trends across our workplaces. And then there are the opportunities that present more of a challenge such as misuse of social media or using AI to generate exaggerated CV’s and applications.
Alongside the big changes, there’s been a constant evolution in people, society, language, etc that also impacts the workplace.
Back in the 90’s a smiley face on yellow background was associated with drugs in the rave scene but now is an emoji and on all sorts of products, many of which are sold to children!!
Or how about brand names, for example Jack & Jones is a popular clothing brand, often with the name in big print on the clothing, but for me I remember “Jack Jones” coming from cockney rhyming slang and meaning being on your own, often with the implication you had no friends, which isn’t an obvious selling point….”wear this T-shirt and you’ll not only have no friends, you’ll announce it on your front”??
And since when was “binging” or “smashing it” a good thing?
How do you keep up with change? Do you ensure you stay in touch with all generations in your workplace and understand their viewpoints and challenges?
How about the technology changes? Are you making the most of your HRIS? Do you need support from someone who has been there, learnt from it and can apply a really useful mix of history, retro and progressive? If so, get in touch for a free no-obligation chat.
