Evolution of HR & Music October 6th, 2009

According to www.dictionary.com, evolution is “a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development.” Many things evolve: organisms, language, technology, music, and industries, just to name a few. Thinking about how evolution is directional progress made me think about how an industry, like HR, would compare to the evolution of something else. In this case, music.

Human Resources has been around for generations, it just has not always been defined in the same way. As early as the 1800’s, there has been some thought given to employees and what motivates them to work. Back then and into the early 1900’s, employees were viewed like machines: they were a necessary evil to get the job done. Employees were thought to be motivated only by money, therefore it was not necessary to consider their care. This was the main school of thought.

From the 1920’s through the 1960’s, there were many changes. There was a movement to begin looking at the needs of employees, to treat employees fairly, not to discriminate. Laws were put into place that began shaping the way companies had to treat their employees. By the 1970’s, human resources, or “personnel” as it was known then, was beginning to evolve, much like music.

There are many similarities of how technology helped the music industry and the human resources industry evolve. Each decade, musical styles evolve and so do the delivery methods of the music. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, LP’s were the way that people bought their music. At the time, it was great. But, like everything, technology was improving. LP’s were know to be easily scratched, could warp or break, and could not be transported easily or played in a car. Personnel departments of the same time were much like the LP. As a practice, it was new. It was about making sure companies met the criteria of the employment laws that had been put into place. It was a predominantly compliance and administration driven industry. But, it didn’t take it to the next step of really caring about the employees.

By the 1980’s, music and HR were evolving. Technology brought synthesizers to new styles of music. LP’s were on the way out and even the short-lived 8 track tape was not going to see a long life. The cassette tape was the new music delivery method. It not only allowed portability of the music, it gave users the ability to make choices about the music they wanted to record. HR was evolving too. The term “Human Resources” came into fashion pushing “Personnel” aside. Not only were these HR departments handling paperwork and compliance, they were beginning to promote compensation strategies, health and wellness, and working with managers on employee relations issues.

As the 1980’s came to a close and the 1990’s rolled in, CD’s, the latest and greatest technology came on strong. Cassette tapes could unwind, tear, and crease. CD’s were sleek, thin, and provided better sound quality. HR was changing with the technology too. Leadership began to shift its view of HR as more HR departments hired college grads with specific degrees in HR Management, Organizational Development, or Human Resource Development. HR departments were investing heavily in technical solutions for ATS and HRIS. They were also pushing the notion of having a “seat at the table” or being part of the C-Suite.

As the end of the century rapidly approached, the changes in technology once again hit the music scene. CD’s, while still available, were becoming less popular thanks to MP3 players and downloading music. It was customizable like never before. HR was adopting some of that strategy too. Benefits programs were offering cafeteria style plans to meet individual needs. Companies began to focus on work/life balance. Flexible schedules, telecommuting, and job sharing were all possibilities now due to advances in communication technology.

So, here we are nearing the end of 2009. What will 2010 bring? As social media becomes more popular and HR professionals consider alternatives to “traditional” HR approaches, how will we use technology to support the evolution? There are many theories out there now. Share your ideas to keep the profession moving forward.

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Contributed by:
Trisha McFarlane

You can email her at trisham89@hotmail.com.
You can check out her HR Ring Leader Blog or follow her on Twitter @TrishMcFarlane

Tags: HR ringleader, hr trends, personnel, talent management, the evolution of hr, trisha mcfarlane