Kelly Services and Health Care: Social justice meets Corporate Responsibility

As a social worker (merged) social scientist (merged) human ‘resourcefulness’ specialist, I struggle daily to juxtapose and even marry what seem to be (at times) two very distinct realities—‘social justice’ and ‘corporate responsibility’. It is not an easy proposition. However, it is one which I feel needs to be done if these terms are to be useful as anything more then euphemisms, oxymorons and/or social illusions.

With this in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that the CEO of my company Kelly Services is an advocate for health care reform.

Living overseas—first in a developing country with little health care (Honduras) then in a country that has socialized health care (Germany)—showed me the need for deliberate social focus/energy when it comes to individual health care. To oversimplify my observations: With capitalism as our current economic ‘Rosetta Stone’, health care has become a reward—a ‘privilege’. For those of us who think it should instead be a ‘right’ it is clear that some form of government intervention is necessary.

Fortunately, this is a view that more and more corporate leaders are starting to take.

It seems that my personal ‘social justice’ approach to ‘corporate responsibility’ is not such a new idea after all…I truly hope all the effort pays off and my company can join with other companies and together we can make a positive difference in society.

Perspective Shift: From Human Resources to Human 'Resourcefulness'

The role of Human Resources is often misunderstood and misused .

Historically, HR has been rooted in 'people-centered' activities like recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, employee benefits and so on. While at the same time, HR departments have been used as tools for maximizing returns on investments from human capital and minimizing financial risk.

Obviously, these two approaches do not have to be mutually exclusive. However, the trend in big business has been to focus on the 2nd (human capital) at the expense of the first (the people). 

A change is necessary. In fact, it is already happening and has been happening for years. Yet, there is no coherent definitions of how or what that is. Human Resources departments have been shifting, adapting and overhauling policies and practices without really nailing down the reasons why. Maybe, an answer can be found with the 'basics'...

Recently, I was impressed by a simple yet pertinent call to ‘master the basics’:

"Don’t overlook the competitive differentiator of service—executing the basics well. How you answer the phone, when you return a phone call, how you greet an applicant, the detail you capture on an order, the presentation of candidates/employees to the customer, all impact our business and gives opportunity...to Stand Out." (Al Sowers, 30June2009)

Reading these words, it strikes me that the whole point is not just to do the 'basics’. It is to do them WELL. This "competitive differentiator" is just that...something that sets you apart and makes your actions matter more. 

So, how does that apply in HR?
Well, for starters...Instead of 'Human RESOURCES'

...why not…

'Human RESOURCEFULNESS’

Those of us in HR are not in the business of servicing typewriters.

We are in the business of recognizing, fostering and channeling human ingenuity.

With that in mind, ‘Human Resources’ at its most basic indicates a focus on stifling creativity and treating people as resources—as tools. While, ‘Human Resourcefulness’ recognizes that people are unique and full of potential, the purpose of production, the reason jobs exist in the first place!

This focus can change everything. If we have a ‘human resources’ mentality it is easy to get lost in the day to day tasks we have in front of us. We get the job done, but we often forget to make our actions really count. (We get so muddled down in taking steps forward that we forget where we are actually going.)

On the other hand, if we approach our jobs with a ‘human resourcefulness’ mentality we remember why we are in this business in the first place—the people! Our actions come tinged with warmth, purpose and intuition. It is not just about doing the basics any more. It is about doing them WELL.

This is not a new idea. Nevertheless, it contains within itself the essence of the conflict inherent in our current state of WORK. 

In our current system, people are often treated as resources for the economic machine.  Fixing this problem goes far beyond the name 'Human Resources'. However, the first step toward a more comprehensive and inclusive use of human resourcefulness must start somewhere.