Kyle Roed: 0:01

This is the rebel HR podcast. If you're professional looking for innovative, thought provoking information in the world human resources, this is the right podcast for you. On today's rebel HR rant, let's talk about Halloween costumes. Halloween costumes are great. You get to pretend to be somebody that you're not maybe a famous character. Maybe you like to dress up as somebody spooky, or like me. Maybe you get roped into dressing up like one of the Disney Princesses so that your daughter's can dance around in a Rapunzel costume. It's all great. One of the challenges and human resources that we constantly face is the fact that we have to put on a mask or a costume in order to do our job at times. A lot of times people perceive us as the company representative, or the principal's office, in order to do their jobs, many HR professionals have to compartmentalize the work that they do. There's a lot of stress in our jobs. And a lot of times we have to make decisions that are very, very challenging. And it doesn't look like there's a lot of winners at the end of the day. In order to compartmentalize A lot of us put on a mask or a costume when they walk into work. I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation with an HR professional, who comments that they feel like they can't be themselves at work, or that HR is simply the job that they do. But it doesn't reflect the choices or the decisions that they make within their personal lives. So my question for an HR professional out there who feels like they have to put on a facade, or a costume or a mask, when they walk into work is why if your employees don't feel like you are authentic, human understanding and empathetic, they won't come to you, you won't be a resource for them. You'll just be another person in a role that makes decisions about their livelihood, that has a huge impact on them. A lot of times I hear the argument that HR is supposed to be on the side of the people, or I hear HR is supposed to be a representative of the business. HR is supposed to be a part of the business strategy to improve culture, improve the people and support the business and all of its success. That means that if an employee brings a complaint to HR, HR helps support that employee and the business to come to a win win solution. It's not about Whose side are you on, it's about the perspectives. hrs job should be to review these things in an empathetic and humanistic way. And that means you can't be wearing a costume or a mask in the workplace. You can't compartmentalize human resources in your real life. It's all intertwined. Eventually, if you put on a mask or a costume at work, every single day that you go to work, you're going to burn out, you're going to crash and burn and it won't be fun. You'll either end up leaving the profession because you just can't handle it. Or you're going to be a really terrible HR practitioner. We ask our employees to be authentic, we ask our employees to bring concerns for Human Resources needs to have that outlet as well. Get connected with other professionals, either within your company or outside of your company. Learn about how to be appropriate and authentic, but also reflecting your role. And ask yourself when you walk into work. Are you being true to yourself? Are you being authentic? Is your headspace in the right place so that you can hear somebody's concerns and have empathy for them? or understand the concerns of the business and some of the decisions that are really challenging for a business to make that you need to support and help an employee understand and then connect those two things together. Help an employee understand the logic of a business decision. Help a business understand an employee's concern in an empathetic way, and then work to address and build trust and respect within your organization and within your team. The best way to build trust is two words, competency and character. The only way to have competency is to practice and learn and get better. And the only way to have character is to be authentic and real. And in the spirit of Halloween. It never hurts to have a jar of candy in Europe Follow us on Facebook at rebel HR podcast, Twitter at rebel HR guy or see our website at rebel human resources.com. Use it opinions expressed by rebel HR podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any of the organizations Wait a minute.

Unknown: 5:05

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