Why Modern HR Requires Rethinking the Old-school Employee Handbook | Fast Company

For many organizations, the pandemic has placed a spotlight on the critical role of the HR function. And as the function continues to find ways to deliver value for its various stakeholders, this article by Lars Schmidt–who just released his book– Redefining HR: Transforming People Teams to Drive Business Performance- provides a few ideas. He explains how modern People and HR teams are transforming antiquated notions of what HR can be. One area where he sees an opportunity is in his statement: “We work so hard to find exceptional talent for our organizations. Why do we diminish their value and impact with unnecessarily burdensome and complicated processes and procedures?” He speaks of how there can be a tendency for HR to develop bureaucratic policies and programs that stifle employee innovation and impact. And while many HR organizations have come a long way from the “old school employee handbook,” with another segment that is doing innovative and cutting edge work that delivers significant value, there is always an opportunity for us to evaluate and modify how we do things to deliver even greater value. To that end, this article provides a few ideas to consider.