Comments on: Should employee communications report to HR? http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/ A Blog Community for Business Communicators Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:34:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ron Shewchuk, ABC http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-751 Ron Shewchuk, ABC Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:03:54 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-751 It's true -- everything, in the end, comes down to the ability of people to get along and work together in a positive way, whatever the reporting structure. But I wonder how things might have gone at Hallmark if you had reported directly to HR. Would you have lasted 17 years? I would think not. It’s true — everything, in the end, comes down to the ability of people to get along and work together in a positive way, whatever the reporting structure. But I wonder how things might have gone at Hallmark if you had reported directly to HR. Would you have lasted 17 years? I would think not.

]]> By: Dave Seifert http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-750 Dave Seifert Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:18:01 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-750 I'm somewhat late to this conversation, but I have to react to one of Ron's early points, that "communicators who report elsewhere often tend to develop adversarial relationships with HR." Well, that certainly doesn't have to be the case. I've just finished 17+ years with Hallmark Cards, where the internal communication function is housed (appropriately, I believe) with external communication in a division that reports to the CEO. I've seen lots of different structures and have come to believe, as many of you also do, that having communication report to the CEO is what makes the most sense. That said, to be successful, I think internal communicators have to develop excellent working relationships with HR, and that's what we tried to do at Hallmark. We were partners on a wide range of initiatives and implemented reguar ways to keep each other informed about what was going on. And, as Brad so accurately points out, it might not matter WHERE internal communication reports, because it's really all about the people and what they're like. I’m somewhat late to this conversation, but I have to react to one of Ron’s early points, that “communicators who report elsewhere often tend to develop adversarial relationships with HR.” Well, that certainly doesn’t have to be the case. I’ve just finished 17+ years with Hallmark Cards, where the internal communication function is housed (appropriately, I believe) with external communication in a division that reports to the CEO. I’ve seen lots of different structures and have come to believe, as many of you also do, that having communication report to the CEO is what makes the most sense.

That said, to be successful, I think internal communicators have to develop excellent working relationships with HR, and that’s what we tried to do at Hallmark. We were partners on a wide range of initiatives and implemented reguar ways to keep each other informed about what was going on.

And, as Brad so accurately points out, it might not matter WHERE internal communication reports, because it’s really all about the people and what they’re like.

]]> By: indu http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-739 indu Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:56:39 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-739 Absolutely not! HR sometimes lives the fallacy that by the sheer fact that it manages most of the employee related pieces, it is also naturally competent to handle "employee communications". Communcations is a more complex realm and needs to be vested with a legitimate communications organization that in most cases would be tied-in with the corporate as an independent function or with the marketing function (both of which are logical from a competency perspective). This also creates greater message and brand synchrony. Making employee communications report into HR is as daft as having finance or facilties report into HR. If these can be respected as niche functions with their own turf, so should communications. The only problem is that to the "limited vision" communications seems so easy that it doesn't need a specialist. Attribute this to ignorance than intelligence. Absolutely not! HR sometimes lives the fallacy that by the sheer fact that it manages most of the employee related pieces, it is also naturally competent to handle “employee communications”. Communcations is a more complex realm and needs to be vested with a legitimate communications organization that in most cases would be tied-in with the corporate as an independent function or with the marketing function (both of which are logical from a competency perspective). This also creates greater message and brand synchrony.
Making employee communications report into HR is as daft as having finance or facilties report into HR. If these can be respected as niche functions with their own turf, so should communications. The only problem is that to the “limited vision” communications seems so easy that it doesn’t need a specialist. Attribute this to ignorance than intelligence.

]]> By: Anshuman Kumar http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-723 Anshuman Kumar Mon, 31 Jul 2006 11:27:30 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-723 It doesn’t matter where Internal Communication is housed, what matters is how they are perceived by the Team under which it’s housed. The problem with HR, more often or not, is that they are too pre-occupied with their HR agendas and hence undermine the value which Comm. professionals could bring to the table. This leads to a never ending acquisition game, with HR referring the Internal Comm. professionals as spin doctors and Internal Comm. retaliating with acquisitions on HR of slave driving the Top Management fancies, both, thereby missing the employee value proposition. Irrespective of which team it’s with, Internal Comm. has to partner with both the internal facing (HR Organization) and the external facing (Marketing, Media Relations, Corp Comm.) functions to align the messaging and provide a single brand message internally and externally, and whichever team can provide this flexibility, should own the Internal Communications function. It doesn’t matter where Internal Communication is housed, what matters is how they are perceived by the Team under which it’s housed.

The problem with HR, more often or not, is that they are too pre-occupied with their HR agendas and hence undermine the value which Comm. professionals could bring to the table. This leads to a never ending acquisition game, with HR referring the Internal Comm. professionals as spin doctors and Internal Comm. retaliating with acquisitions on HR of slave driving the Top Management fancies, both, thereby missing the employee value proposition.

Irrespective of which team it’s with, Internal Comm. has to partner with both the internal facing (HR Organization) and the external facing (Marketing, Media Relations, Corp Comm.) functions to align the messaging and provide a single brand message internally and externally, and whichever team can provide this flexibility, should own the Internal Communications function.

]]> By: Vijay Menon http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-306 Vijay Menon Mon, 01 May 2006 04:08:09 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-306 At the business process outsourcing company where I work, internal commn has two goals: policy communication, and employee motivation. Policy communication is concerned with making employees aware of the company guidelines on compensation and benefits, conduct, security, taxes, quality, and so on. Motivational communication promotes the company as a good place to work in by making employees feel that they are valuable participations and stakeholders in the company’s success. The problem of course is that, communication specialists would much rather work on the latter and not on the former. We have been singularly unsuccessful in attracting and retaining communication specialists for policy communication. Policy communication is seen as worthy but lacks the excitement of media, customer, or analyst relations. So we are splitting internal comm into two parts. One part will be a team headed by an HR person reporting to the HR head and staffed with communication specialists to handle policy communication. To make it interesting for the communication specialists, we are also folding recruitment advertising and employee newsletters into that department. The HR person will provide the connect with the rest of the HR folks and this will be invaluable in policy communication. The communication specialists will design the content and the delivery and cascade the policy through relevant communication contacts in various departments We are retaining the ‘corporate communications’ part of internal communications dealing with executive messaging with the corporate marketing function. The corporate marketing team reports to the CEO and is aware of the big picture on company strategy and direction that HR lacks And of course, marketing is adept at working with professional agencies if and when special campaigns are needed to support the internal comm. team. At the business process outsourcing company where I work, internal commn has two goals: policy communication, and employee motivation.

Policy communication is concerned with making employees aware of the company guidelines on compensation and benefits, conduct, security, taxes, quality, and so on.

Motivational communication promotes the company as a good place to work in by making employees feel that they are valuable participations and stakeholders in the company’s success.

The problem of course is that, communication specialists would much rather work on the latter and not on the former. We have been singularly unsuccessful in attracting and retaining communication specialists for policy communication. Policy communication is seen as worthy but lacks the excitement of media, customer, or analyst relations.

So we are splitting internal comm into two parts. One part will be a team headed by an HR person reporting to the HR head and staffed with communication specialists to handle policy communication. To make it interesting for the communication specialists, we are also folding recruitment advertising and employee newsletters into that department. The HR person will provide the connect with the rest of the HR folks and this will be invaluable in policy communication. The communication specialists will design the content and the delivery and cascade the policy through relevant communication contacts in various departments

We are retaining the ‘corporate communications’ part of internal communications dealing with executive messaging with the corporate marketing function. The corporate marketing team reports to the CEO and is aware of the big picture on company strategy and direction that HR lacks And of course, marketing is adept at working with professional agencies if and when special campaigns are needed to support the internal comm. team.

]]> By: Brad Whitworth http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-299 Brad Whitworth Wed, 26 Apr 2006 22:36:56 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-299 Let's move from the theoretical to the real world, folks. I agree that -- in theory -- the best place for internal communications is not HR and not marketing, but instead, reporting in to the CEO or some department that has the neutrality of the Swiss. However, we also have to deal with the human side of the equation. The head of HR could be a tremendous ally through personal or position power in the organization. The CEO could be so busy that a communications direct report is completely ignored. The marketing EVP could be an organizational psychopath who is intent on grabbing credit and spreading blame. So temper the enthusiasm for a particular reporting relationship with the reality of the people to whom you might report. On a coast-to-coast airplane trip I sat next to a woman who was reading a book called "How to work for a jerk." Let's hope that you never face that situation, no matter where you report in the organization. Let’s move from the theoretical to the real world, folks. I agree that — in theory — the best place for internal communications is not HR and not marketing, but instead, reporting in to the CEO or some department that has the neutrality of the Swiss.

However, we also have to deal with the human side of the equation. The head of HR could be a tremendous ally through personal or position power in the organization. The CEO could be so busy that a communications direct report is completely ignored. The marketing EVP could be an organizational psychopath who is intent on grabbing credit and spreading blame.

So temper the enthusiasm for a particular reporting relationship with the reality of the people to whom you might report. On a coast-to-coast airplane trip I sat next to a woman who was reading a book called “How to work for a jerk.” Let’s hope that you never face that situation, no matter where you report in the organization.

]]> By: Erika Ruiz http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-296 Erika Ruiz Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:27:31 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-296 I fully agree with Moses' comment. Communications should be seen as strategical as HR. In fact, both have to cross objectives so both areas can contribute to the achievement of the companie's goals. Communications should be as close as it can be to the General Management and get the information on strategy at the same time as HR. Sometimes it happens that HR does not communicate the key information to Communications and confusing messages could be sent out to employees. Communications should transmit the strategical information to employees, but it also has the obligation of coming back to HR and General Management with feedback on how this information is being perceived and/or proposals to change the strategy if the results are not the expected. I fully agree with Moses’ comment. Communications should be seen as strategical as HR. In fact, both have to cross objectives so both areas can contribute to the achievement of the companie’s goals. Communications should be as close as it can be to the General Management and get the information on strategy at the same time as HR. Sometimes it happens that HR does not communicate the key information to Communications and confusing messages could be sent out to employees. Communications should transmit the strategical information to employees, but it also has the obligation of coming back to HR and General Management with feedback on how this information is being perceived and/or proposals to change the strategy if the results are not the expected.

]]> By: Moses Kanhai, ABC http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-267 Moses Kanhai, ABC Tue, 25 Apr 2006 01:46:34 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-267 Whenever this the topic is discussed about whether employee communication should report to HR, I feel like turning to my friend Tudor Williams and saying, "Tudor, you're on!" If I might add my bit, however, the short answer to the question is simply No. The longer answer, from my perspective is, employee communication is part of corporate communication and a component of employee relations. And, of course, employee relations is the responsibility of HR. HR has a direct role in the planning of internal communicaiton that affects employee relations, namely employee benefits and related topics, such as safety, training, recruitment, industrial relations, compensation, succession planning and the like. It does not have a role in communicating other corporate messages to employees, such as operations, finance, strategic planning and IT. The question is not whether one should report to the other but how could they collaborate strategically in the areas they share in common. Whenever this the topic is discussed about whether employee communication should report to HR, I feel like turning to my friend Tudor Williams and saying, “Tudor, you’re on!”

If I might add my bit, however, the short answer to the question is simply No. The longer answer, from my perspective is, employee communication is part of corporate communication and a component of employee relations. And, of course, employee relations is the responsibility of HR.

HR has a direct role in the planning of internal communicaiton that affects employee relations, namely employee benefits and related topics, such as safety, training, recruitment, industrial relations, compensation, succession planning and the like.

It does not have a role in communicating other corporate messages to employees, such as operations, finance, strategic planning and IT.

The question is not whether one should report to the other but how could they collaborate strategically in the areas they share in common.

]]> By: Lee’s new Better Communication Results blog http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-218 Lee’s new Better Communication Results blog Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:40:02 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-218 [...] Over at the IABC Employee Communications Commons, Ron Shewchuk stirred a hornets nest of conversation up when he asked whether Internal Comms should report to HR or a Corporate Comms flavinoid comprising PR and Marketing folks. [...] [...] Over at the IABC Employee Communications Commons, Ron Shewchuk stirred a hornets nest of conversation up when he asked whether Internal Comms should report to HR or a Corporate Comms flavinoid comprising PR and Marketing folks. [...]

]]> By: Ron Shewchuk, ABC http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-200 Ron Shewchuk, ABC Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:03:55 +0000 http://commons.iabc.com/employee/2006/03/12/should-employee-communications-report-to-hr/#comment-200 Unfortunately, in North America, HR has built a negative reputation in many organizations. This is partly because they were so involved in the huge downsizings of the last two decades, which disrupted many people's lives. I like dotted lines in an organization. They are an abstraction, but a useful one that denotes collaboration and encourages teamwork where none might otherwise exist. If the trend in India is for communications to report to the CEO, your country's profession is going in the right direction. Unfortunately, in North America, HR has built a negative reputation in many organizations. This is partly because they were so involved in the huge downsizings of the last two decades, which disrupted many people’s lives.

I like dotted lines in an organization. They are an abstraction, but a useful one that denotes collaboration and encourages teamwork where none might otherwise exist.

If the trend in India is for communications to report to the CEO, your country’s profession is going in the right direction.

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