Episode Highlights
What is the difference between “traditional HR” and “people operations”?
Brady Haider: With traditional HR, the tendency can be to start out with policies to be legal and compliant. So we approach it as enforcers of this policy and it’s associated with a more negative response. People operations aims to create policies that prioritize and improve the overall people experience at a company. When we look at our policies, we need to ask why we have these policies and how we incorporate them into what our people want. Let’s find out what kind of culture we want and build our policies around that.
How Can Company Culture Drive Greater Profits?
Brady Haider: We like to say: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Think about this. You could have the best strategy, but if you don’t have the right mindset and mentality to buy into the strategy, it doesn’t matter.
When you think about the investment that you make in your people, financially, it’s one of the largest investments. To get the best return on that investment, we need to create a culture of great teamwork, where individuals feel their input and contributions are heard. When we create an environment that taps into their creativity and innovation, we become less task-minded and more committed to the company’s overall vision.
How can a company begin the transition to “people operations”?
- Get leadership buy-in
Brady Haider: The top two steps I’d recommend is first getting buy-in from the leadership team. If we can help them understand the value of putting people first, it can do incredible things for the employee experience. Retention becomes better and recruiting becomes easier.
- Team effort
Brady Haider: Secondly, It has to be a team effort. You can’t do it alone. It’s important to acknowledge the effort of everyone involved.
Matt Vance: I totally agree with that team effort approach. There’s a saying that if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.
Do you have any tips for HR leaders for embracing new ways of doing things?
Brady Haider: Always be continuously learning and improving. The way that you do things today probably won’t work next year with how quickly companies and products change and innovate. You have to be willing to adapt. When you have multiple touch points with your people, you can drive change around that. And if you can do that, that is going to lead to an environment that people thrive and do their best in.
BONUS:
Brady Haider recommends HR leaders become SHRM certified. Learn more here: SHRM Certification
