Making space for HR in Design
Being an HR intern I never clearly understood what to emphasize on. As designers’ and HR’s work never go hand in hand, it always feels like there is a barrier between us. Designers and developers alike, often question the efficacy of the HR personnel, since their output is not visible in terms of quantifiable projects. Even I do not understand if the HR’s task is to recruit people. Or is it to manage them? Are they in charge of facility management or people management? In the midst of all this confusion, it is hardly surprising that they wonder about the need of the HR department in the design domain.
To all the above questions, I would answer saying that the HR department manages all of this and much more. Similar to how a designer or developer is concerned with the experience that the user has, HR is concerned with the experience that each designer has.
In effect, the HR person is someone who would be in charge of all administrative and business goals. This need not mean simply supporting the strategic goals of the company by meeting hiring requirements and ensuring compensation compliances, but it also has a direct impact on the professional life of every employee. The primary example of this could be Employee Engagement. Employee Engagement is an umbrella term, which refers to the extent to which employees are passionate about their work and are committed to the organisation. It is one of the responsibilities of HR to ensure that the employees are engaged. This serves a dual purpose. On one hand, it contributes to the overall satisfaction that the employee has at the workplace and ensures that they are enthused about their work. On the other hand, it leads to better decision-making and goes a long way in increasing the company’s productivity. Organisations with an engaged workforce outperform their competition.
So how does one ensure a high degree of employee engagement? Contrary to popular belief, this is not just about playing games and having fun. While recreation is a very important component, it is not the only one. Strategies also include training and development, knowledge enhancement, a healthy organisational culture and work ethic, ensuring performance standards and outputs, among others. In this regard, f1Studioz seems to be quite ahead of its competitors with its host of offerings; to name a few — M1da sessions, f1Labs, Basecamp and Slack memberships, Friday events, Company Outings.
Despite being in the field of HR, I cannot claim to know its exact functionality in all sectors. In fact, f1Studioz was my introduction to the world of UI/UX. From not having heard about these concepts, I went to reading up about them in my spare time and what I discovered was fascinating. Design finds a way to bring together technology and humane qualities like empathy, all the while charting a careful path between the two.
Having immersed myself in this world, my experience took shape as a quest to find my place in design. What is it that I do to contribute to a company whose life-blood is design? I cannot design or develop products, so does that make me redundant? However as I soon realised over the course of my engagement with f1Studioz, there is more to a design agency than simply design. What I do may not be the line function of the company, but it nonetheless supports it in its end goal of growth. What I do ensures that the company never has a shortage of good talent, or has to struggle with retaining the talent that it currently has. My line of work makes certain that resources are aplenty, facilities are managed, and grievances are addressed. It keeps both the company and its employees as its priority. HR is about balancing the two without significantly compromising on the needs of either.
HR may not be the key ingredient in a design studio, but it most certainly is the salt that flavours it. It is what brings all the individual components together to create a palate that gives, excuse the pun, a good experience. If this internship was about finding my place, I can confidently say that I have not only located but also settled in the niche that HR has in Design.
