Let’s end the ‘flesh expenditure management’ approach to HR
With Flexible Working Day approaching, Quiip’s Venessa Paech challenges workplaces to stop thinking of their employees as resources, and start thinking of them as humans.
This Wednesday is Flexible Working Day. And it’s time to ditch the term ‘human resources’ and stop treating people like commodities.
The term ‘human resources’, seems particularly relevant as automation and AI rise to shoulder more of our working load. But people are not commodities to be exploited. A friend on Twitter recently suggested it may as well be called “flesh expenditure management”. He’s not wrong.
Well said Vanessa.
Over the years I have observed that almost every public company proclaims somewhere in their Annual Report, “people are our most valuable resource”. And yet they certainly do not behave as though they were. Companies try to protect valuable resources. They aim to accumulate valuable resources. I have never read a press release stating, “today we made the decision to discard 500 of our most valuable resources”. Your suggestions are valid, especially in a world where humans and robots are competing. Each has different attributes and skills. And each should be treated accordingly.