For all the times Human Resources is portrayed as compliance only, here is one about a Human Resources Director who really gets it!  A true story from one of my clients – names left out intentionally.

In the early part of the second quarter of 2014 the Human Resources Director prevails and the hiring manager agrees to extend an offer to the candidate with the greatest potential versus the one with the most experience.  The hiring manager was able to add talent to his team at substantially less than budget but was still reluctant given the existing challenges in his department. That is not why I say the Human Resources Director really gets it!

Fast forward six months to mid fourth quarter of 2014 and not only is the hiring manager ecstatic about the performance of his new team member but the vice president of the entire manufacturing group has even commented on the improved performance of the department.  The Human Resources Director then did something surprising.  He suggested and was instrumental in having an “out of cycle” compensation adjustment approved.  It gets better – he helped the hiring manager and the vice president with the hand written congratulatory notes to accompany the official notice of the compensation adjustment and coordinated a lunch meeting to present the entire package to their now thoroughly motivated employee.