16 | theceomagazine.com
MANAGING THE #METOO MOVEMENT
THE #METOO CAMPAIGN HAS GIVEN HUMAN
RESOURCE PRACTITIONERS AROUND THE WORLD
A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THEMSELVES.WORDS • WENDY KAYT
he global revolution triggered by the #MeToo campaign has
irrevocably altered workplace attitudes, leaving employees and
employers worldwide disoriented and unsure of the rules, and
human resources professionals scrambling to modify procedures.
Australian Human Resources Institute CEO Lyn Goodear says the
industry needed the shock value #MeToo provided and describes the
upheaval as a terrific opportunity for HR practitioners to step up. She believes
that while most organisations do have HR policies in place, it’s the procedures
that require attention to ensure cultures of safety and respect are built, from
the CEO all the way down to the latest junior recruit.
“HR has absolutely been called out and called upon. #MeToo was the
accelerant we needed and it blew up big,” she says. “In some circumstances,
we’ve seen appalling HR; in fact, we can say that it’s not HR at all, and
certainly not professional behaviour. The challenge facing us is the lack of
clarity, not just within the profession itself, but there is some confusion in the
wider market over what good HR looks like.
“Now we have an opportunity to help business leaders understand they
haven’t really got HR if all they’re doing is processing payroll and hiring and
firing people.” »16 | theceomagazine.com