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Human Resources

For those students who have not found the same “university” learning experience as they had envisioned, I would recommend that you visit every professor’s office hours regularly. It is through these office hours and the resulting connections that I have been able to experience the only real learning I’ve ever done.

After an enlightening discussion with one of my professors, “we” arrived at an interesting concept concerning the use of some humans for the advancement of others that seems to be at the source of the problems in our world today. Under what conditions can one human’s abilities be put to use for another’s gain? Our discussion began with the concept of stem cells. I have written my opinion before, but the real issue is not (and will never be) addressed by the media, and that is the application of what could become a life for the advantage of others.

We are all currently “powering” someone else’s ends. If you have a job, your skills are being applied for the advantage of your boss. A student expends their energy to achieve goals initially applied by their guardians. It is difficult to find a person who devotes their resources solely for their own ends (this is not selfishness in the general sense because one’s end could be charity).

The real danger from this situation will arise when those who control realize that humans are the ultimate resources far beyond any fuel.

3 Comments

1. Atul

   Mar 12, 23:56

   Corporations today don’t realize the value they have in human capital. Employees are seen more as a replaceable liability than as an important source of knowledge and expertise. It’s the sad rationale behind why corporations lay off people so easily to save cash and please shareholders. They don’t properly consider the long term effects of losing valuable knowledge and the recruiting and learning curve costs associated with new employees.
   
   It’s not a morale booster to line an executive’s pockets by working harder. That’s why many people are motivated to start their own businesses and work for themselves. Otherwise, we are just selling our services to help our employer, but for money and benefits. So all employees are being “used” to some degree, but employees can “use” their employers back by managing workload, hours, and expectations to some degree. That’s the only saving grace, and the reason that unions were formed.
   – Atul

2. Thame

   Mar 13, 14:13

   I agree that employers are not recognizing the worth of their people. Perhaps there will be a time when all aspects of a business can be controlled or produced with machines, but until then, companies need to learn just how important their employees are.
   
   Come to think of it, maybe it’s better if they don’t :D

3. Colleen

   Mar 19, 16:20

   I’m not sure if I agree that companies don’t recognize the value of their employees. Usually, it is the unprofitable businesses that you find doing the widespread lay-offs, and the only reason why they are laying off employees in the first place is because they don’t have the monetary resources to support them. In most forward-thinking organizations, the main goal of human resource managers is to boost employee morale and think of gratifying rewards so that they do not lose their most innovative and intelligent employees to other competing firms that are also trying to draw them in.
   
   That being said, most companies recognize the value of a highly skilled individual because if that person leaves, he or she is going to be difficult to replace. However, in the case of “less skilled” individuals (i.e. sales clerks), companies will do less to keep these people happy because they are easy to replace in that practically anybody can learn how to be a sales clerk in a relatively short time period, with minimal training.
   
   I don’t think that it is accurate to say that corporations do not recognize the value of ALL their employees, but they certainly do not recognize the potential of those who work lower-level jobs. Most people employed as sales clerks, for example, are capable of doing so much more than many managers may realize. I worked at a waterpark last summer selling waterpark passes, and I know that I am capable of much more than pressing buttons and wristbanding people. I think the challenge for many companies is to transfer their attitudes regarding employees to lower levels of the organization instead of just focussing on the most skilled individuals.Most sales clerks can be much more effective if given just a little more training, room to be creative, and responsibility, since their skill sets are beyond what their jobs actually require.

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