Although Tropical Storm Fay was really more of a pain in the rear for me personally, (tree falling in my back yard, flooding, etc.), I realized how she represents more than just a weather phenomenon.
After this realization, I started thinking about how it related to our industry. From this thought came “The Fay Approach”.
The Fay Approach
Let’s be creative for just a moment and think of Human Resources as the eye of the storm. The eye walls are the talented individuals within this industry that are strong, focused and ready to take charge. They are the first to meet potential employees and usually the last to speak with exiting ones. They are the go to people when there is an employee issue. They kind of ‘control’ what direction the company takes because of their efforts.
The outer bands are the organization’s departments and really support the overall strength of the company. The rain bands (minus the flooding) are the dedicated employees who are contributing every day to make the ’storm’ go round. The tornadoes that spin off are the disgruntled or fired employees who usually fizzle out after doing some damage. The millibars, represent revenue and stocks, in reverse action of course. (Lower millibars = stronger storm).
It’s important to keep in mind how much your position in the HR industry can affect the overall health of an organization. Whether you are a recruiter in the corporate, 3rd party or search capacity, you’re responsibility is the same. You need to find someone not only qualified for the job but skilled enough to fit within the corporate culture and grow with the organization.
I’ll bet that every time Fay went out to sea and picked up more moisture, she wasn’t just picking up any water…but rather the warmest water that will contribute to the strength she was trying so hard to build. She obviously had a strategic plan as to where she went next. Fay bobbled around our state, making four landfalls in such a radical fashion dumping water on every corner of the state. Perhaps, maybe she was trying to alleviate our statewide drought, in which she was triumphant.
Your job in the HR industry should be viewed as the same. You’re doing more than just ‘filling’ a position, you are alleviating a larger problem. Tropical Storms and Hurricanes get a bad reputation as destructive and deadly, but I seem to think they are nature’s way of ‘fixing’ our earth’s larger problems.
