The other day, one employer said to me, “You did say that person X was going to do Y in a few months’ time. How did you know?”. My response was, “in HR you actually get paid to predict the behaviour before it happens. That’s what you do when you recruit someone. You predict or anticipate if that person will be a success or a fail in that particular position. That’s what you do when you chair a hearing, that’s what you do when you implement a performance improvement plan, etc. ”
Scientific Tools and Resources to predicting behaviour
However, this anticipation of behaviour is not random or subject to feelings or emotions. There are scientific tools and resources that you use to anticipate or predict the behaviour. For example, with recruitment you would use outcome-based interviews, which are based on the theory of “the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour”. For my coaching programs, I use the assessments of habits, which are formed by repeated behaviour.
Confines of the law when it comes to predicting behaviour
All this prediction of behaviour happens within the confines of the law, for example the Employment Equity Act (EEA) prescribes the requirements of psychometric assessments. According to the EEA, psychological testing and other similar assessments are prohibited unless it can be proved that the assessments are scientifically shown to be fair and reliable. The assessment must also not be unfairly biased against any employee or group of people.
In Conclusion
So, for Wednesday’s Word, I decided to define HR as how I have experienced it. I know in the dictionary they refer to it, as a noun. I, Phumzile Lettie Msiza, refer to it as a verb, a doing word. 🙃 A doing word of predicting and anticipating behaviour before it happens. Let, me rather say, a doing word of successfully predicting and anticipating behaviour before it happens.
To find out more about my tools of successfully predicting behaviour, please visit my website www.nxusahr.co.za to register or whatsapp me on 081 722 3775 or e-mail me at info@nxusahr.co.za