Mitre 10’s HR General Manager shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges HR has to deal with and how the role is changing.
Lloyd Pinder is the HR GM at Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd, and was the recent winner of the ‘HR Generalist of the Year’ and the ‘HR Person of the Year’ at the Annual HRINZ Awards. He’s a Kiwi who returned after spending 16 years working in HR overseas.
How would you sum up HR professionals in three words?
Empathetic, Conscientious, Politically Correct (does that count, it is a two-word term!)
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
‘Don’t take things personally’ – no matter what, don’t take offence or take a grudge, just work through the issue and keep on smiling ready for the next challenge
What are some of the biggest challenges HR deals with?
Probably the biggest challenge is getting the alignment between what the organisation wants and needs to be achieved, and what people want from their employment. The greater the alignment and engagement, the more the respective parties get from the relationship, and ultimately the longer and more successful that relationship will be.
How do you see the role of HR changing in the future?
With technology and measurements being more readily available, the role of HR will be to look at the lead and lag indicators to determine how and when the right type of capability & resource will be deployed to maximise business value. Creating the ideal culture for the people who make the difference to be able to deliver the business value is the other side of the equation.
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
Large trim flat white.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Mick Jagger, Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton – I reckon they would have some good stories to tell and be very entertaining company. Be good to have the truth serum available at the same time.
How would you sum up HR professionals in three words?
Empathetic, Conscientious, Politically Correct (does that count, it is a two-word term!)
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
‘Don’t take things personally’ – no matter what, don’t take offence or take a grudge, just work through the issue and keep on smiling ready for the next challenge
What are some of the biggest challenges HR deals with?
Probably the biggest challenge is getting the alignment between what the organisation wants and needs to be achieved, and what people want from their employment. The greater the alignment and engagement, the more the respective parties get from the relationship, and ultimately the longer and more successful that relationship will be.
How do you see the role of HR changing in the future?
With technology and measurements being more readily available, the role of HR will be to look at the lead and lag indicators to determine how and when the right type of capability & resource will be deployed to maximise business value. Creating the ideal culture for the people who make the difference to be able to deliver the business value is the other side of the equation.
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
Large trim flat white.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Mick Jagger, Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton – I reckon they would have some good stories to tell and be very entertaining company. Be good to have the truth serum available at the same time.
