John Hudson is currently
an HR Manager with Discovery Communications and Harpo Studios in Chicago and
has over 15 years of experience in the Human Resources field. He provides consultation and expertise in the
areas of performance management, employee development, employee relations,
compensation and recruiting. John has
also worked in the insurance and consumer products environments supporting
various departments including IT, Finance and Operations. John has a Bachelor’s degree in Education
from Indiana University and the SPHR certification. Follow him @johnphudson on
Twitter
There have been some days
when I want to leave the Human Resources field. Dealing with an extremely
administrative process or working through a string of sticky employee relations
issues can drive one to question this. But there have been many days that reinforce
the reasons I stay.
I had a conversation with
an HR friend recently about some of the projects I was working on. There may
have been a hint of venting or complaining as we spoke. At the end of my
explanation, he said, “Yes, but you enjoy what you do and you are good at it.”
At first, I chuckled in my typical sarcastic way, but then I thought about it.
I really do enjoy what I do.
It's that intern I hired
that blossoms into that next great leader. The stretch promotion that turns out
to be the right move. The little bit of advice that brings a smile to the
employees face or the mentorship that guides a new HR professional along the
way.
Another colleague shared
an email with me the other day. It was
from a recent hire thanking her for the warm welcome and great onboarding
experience she received. What may seem like a mundane, every day part of your
job can have a lasting impression on an employee and set the tone for their
experience with the organization.
For some of the bad parts
of the job, there is still a sense of fulfillment knowing the employee was
treated with respect. Decisions are made daily, negatively impacting a person,
department or organization and HR must make sure these are treated with care
and compassion and common sense.
There are going to be aspects
of the job that suck. There are parts of every profession that do. Go ask any
department head in your organization and they will probably tell you more than
you really want to know. I see things every day, though that reminds me why I
enjoy what I do. Now, back to planning the monthly birthday celebrations.