John Pope examines how HR professionals' roles have changed since the downturn and how they must now adapt to the current climate.
Business is a bit like gardening. To get good roses in summer, you have to prune in winter, root out diseased old stock, get rid of those which flower poorly or are no longer vigorous, and get rid of those you are keeping for sentimental reasons. You also have to be able to see what looks right and what looks wrong. And the same with business.
We now have an economic winter, and it looks like a long and hard one, but there will eventually be a summer and HR's job is to help your business overcome the winter and be in a good state for the recovery.
Recessions follow good times, during which time much that should have been done but was put off now has to be done. While the basic role of HR may not have changed, the priorities may be very different.
Clearing the 'rosebed'