This week the world will mark International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
The event takes place every year on May 29th and this year’s theme is Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace.
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Its aim is to pay tribute to the personnel – uniformed and civilian – who contribute to the incredible work of the organisation.
The peacekeepers are made up of more than 113,000 people from 125 countries and are currently serving in 14 different missions all over the planet. Not only do they protect and care for civilians and make sure ceasefires are kept, they also protect human rights, uphold the rule of law and support free and fair democracy. Beyond this, they also have a mission to ensure women’s voices are listened to in all areas of life.
The commemoration will once again feature highly in Scotland – last year it was officially recognised by the Scottish Parliament, which agreed with the UN that peace must be ‘structural, rather than just the absence of violence’. In other words, we have to work at it every day.
Of course, not all human conflicts are as life-changing or monumental as those tackled by the UN. But there are serious issues in our daily work lives here in Scotland where a crack team of professionals must keep the peace, ensure fairness and promote harmony.
These are the Human Resources personnel, super-skilled professionals who have evolved from what was known as Personnel Management. Once their primary focus was on keeping employees’ files up to date, paying wages on time and ensuring a company’s overall work practices abided by the rules. Now the modern world of HR is much more complex – and satisfying for those who take up top positions.
Although HR and recruitment professionals make up just 1% of the UK workforce, they’re a vital part of any organisation. As well as handling recruitment and being instrumental in a firm’s employment policy, an HR role can also mean dealing with grievances and disciplinary procedures.
To achieve peace in the workplace takes an in-depth knowledge of employment law, great communication skills and, of course, tact and diplomacy. The really fun stuff, however, is helping colleagues to continually develop their talents through training and development. This is vital to ensure everyone in an organisation has the opportunity to progress in their own career.
In fact, mentoring employees is a particularly rewarding specialism in HR. The role combines a detailed knowledge of the company’s business strategy with the ability to motivate others to upskill and move forward, often in formal classroom environments.
This means having excellent presentation skills. The tech-savvy HR pro will also use training materials, such as online courses and interactive websites.
Employee development is an increasingly major part of the HR mission and, in 2019, HR executives are engaging with frontline managers so they in turn can lead their own teams to greatness.
To help them, they’ll use regular performance reviews – not the outdated annual report card but continuous assessment so career support can be offered to employees whenever and wherever it’s needed. This is where HR professionals have the opportunity to create incredible transformations in an organisation. Career development also helps another part of the job: boosting staff morale.
Another way to do this is by celebrating success. When an employee goes above and beyond it’s often the HR manager who will make sure they and their work are recognised. This could be anything from a simple thank you shared on the office noticeboard to a reward scheme that involves a pay bonus, vouchers or holidays.
Some companies also offer away days and team-building activities, designed to create closer bonds between colleagues and encourage employees to think about each other’s strengths. Such HR-led initiatives can be powerful tools for improving employees’ general health and happiness at work.
With Brexit likely to return to the headlines any day now, it’s also the job of HR to protect the future of EU nationals working within Scottish companies. This involves identifying any European nationals who work for the business, informing them of any relevant legal processes and ensuring they have access to up-to-date information.
There are other challenges, too, for HR workers. Developing a digital culture and employees’ technical skills is one of the industry’s most important missions. Artificial Intelligence and automation are transforming workplaces and HR pros must keep up to speed with a world being transformed by new technology.
Another important area for HR is to push even harder for gender equality, a theme that’s sure to dominate the employment conversation throughout 2019.
Last but not least, helping a business thrive in a sustainable way is easier when the HR team promotes eco-friendly work practices and encourages colleagues to offer ideas to make operations greener and the workplace more pleasant.
They may not be on the frontline in the same way as our brave UN Peacekeepers but HR professionals are doing their bit to make the world a better place.
If you’re considering your own mission in HR, search all the top vacancies right now on s1jobs.