In a highly accountable organization, there is always a culture present that prioritizes and inspires accountability. The successful HR professional knows that organizations cannot mandate accountability, but they can create a place where people want to be accountable to each other. 

HR Professionals Are the First Face of an Organization 

When someone applies for a job they go through HR. When someone is looking for a new team member or employee for their department they go to HR. HR directs the flow of people in and out of the organization. They direct the onboarding process, and they facilitate the ongoing education of all employees. Their fingerprint is all over the people that make up the organization. 

Accountability is keeping your commitments to people. Accountability is an outflow from a culture that is designed versus an organizational culture that is created by default. To support the culture that values accountability the HR professional needs to be intimately familiar with what the company believes and they need to fully understand the mission. 

As people come into the company, HR is in a position to hire to the values of the organization. If an individual’s values do not align with the company’s values, it will be impossible for that employee to effectively live the company’s values. When those values do align, then the employee slips right into the flow of the organization and adds to the culture rather then disturbing the culture. 

In the daily life of business at any organization it is most common for everyone to get wrapped up in the task at hand. Accountants are counting, engineers are engineering, and sales professionals are selling. And while all leaders, and certainly the CEO, should be thinking about the people in the organization and their growth, development, and wellbeing, HR is the only part of the team whose express job description directs them to focus on people. 

HR Is at the Epicenter of What the Company Believes 

HR is at the heart of the organization’s vision, culture, and people. HR is the only department that has the opportunity to have an impact on every employee in the company and every department. 

HR must step back and determine if the company’s culture was created by default. Does anything go? Are exceptions abundant? Is behavior incongruent with stated values? Or is the culture by design? Are values evident in the decisions being made and in the behavior of everyone in the company? 

If your culture is not well defined and observed, then HR is in a position to work with leadership to establish exactly what they want the culture to look like. If the culture is defined but not adhered to, then HR leads the campaign to gain back control over the organization’s culture. If the culture is defined and followed, then HR works closely with the CEO to take positive steps to continuously protect and defend the culture. 

HR Becomes the Culture Coach to the CEO 

A proactive HR department is constantly evaluating the culture—working with the chief executive to further support the culture and designing ways of continuing the conversation and education around culture for all employees. 

HR has the ability to be the gauge for the entire organization. They must frequently ask the questions: Are we doing what we are supposed to? Are we living the culture?” If the answer is No, then HR is in a position to make changes that will help the organization more consistently live the culture. 

HR is much more than hiring, firing, and making sure employee benefits are administrated properly. HR is more than a place where the administrative paperwork pertaining to all employees is recorded. HR is where the culture of an organization is observed, gauged, taught, encouraged, fought for, and defended. 

When an organization is deemed a great place to work—when employees are highly engaged, productivity is high, and profits are strong—you know there is an effective, hardworking HR department in place. More importantly, you know that the organization is a place where people will want to be accountable.