Right Job for the Right Man at the Right Time: An HR Myth
I
have taught human resource subjects for a decade now. As a professor, I often
come across this line used by my students and colleagues: HR is all about "right
job for the right man at the right time." My cynicism about the veracity of this
statement has grown over the years. At times, it makes me feel that HR managers
cater to notional beliefs of goodness rather than serving as an important area
that influences the company's bottom line.
I get quite peeved by the ludicrous nature of this statement. It puts human
beings and organizations in a static unchanging time zone where everything is
put to a stand still. There are three aspects that bother me: Right job, right
man, and right time. I place my argument for each of these aspects below.
Right job:
Now, what is a right job? How does one define a right job? Is right job taken in
perspective with the environment or the applicant? Does the right job stay
constant in a variable environment? Let's take a case scenario. In the beginning
of the dotcom era, Internet seemed to be the way to go. Everybody who was
anybody wanted to be in the dotcom business. Software, hardware, internet
solutions, and ecommerce business mushroomed in every part of the Web. Dotcom
seemed like the right place to be. Times changed, industries changed and the
dotcom era was not so hot anymore. Now the focus has shifted to telecom and
business process outsourcing. So what is the right job in the new scenario? In a
dynamic environment, how can employees match up with the 'right job' every time
that the economy changes?
Right man:
Just like the right job, the right man also has limited application. Human
beings are constantly evolving. With passing time, people change, their
preferences change and so do their values and beliefs. How then, can the concept
of right man be held true even for a single moment?
Right time:
This totally defeats the statement. Time is ever changing. If the statement of
right job for right man at the right time needs to be upheld, it would require
us to constantly improvise on our employee selection list. No employee could
suit every changing moment.
In dynamic business environment, this statement seems superfluous, if not
misleading. HR managers need to focus on hiring talent that meets organizational
objectives. Perfectionism in the process of hiring can only delay results.
Neither organizations nor employees can afford to be rigid. It is important that
employees align their individual goals with the organizational goals, but at the
same time organizations have to be flexible to adjust to individual needs and
preferences. With a flexi organization and flexible personnel, organizations can
achieve greater success.
