SWAKOPMUND – Human resources practitioners must serve with utmost humility and professionalism instead of stressing and humiliating their human capital.
This is according to the president and founder of the Institute of Public Management (IMP), Tim Ekandjo, who was speaking at the opening of the 13th IPM conference in Swakopmund this week.
“We choose not to stress, humiliate, and treat them like animals and thereafter proudly call ourselves HR managers. We can all remain humble while being stern because humility should never be mistaken for weakness. Remember that we are dealing with human beings, people with feelings and emotions, and we must treat them like human beings at all times,” the soft, yet firm, Ekandjo said.
The conference, which was attended by over 140 registered human resources (HR) professionals, was held under the theme ‘Unleash-Inspire-Connect’, with the aim of ensuring integrity and professionalism among all those who chose the profession.
Ekandjo told the professionals that they ought to remind themselves that they are serving a profession that is much bigger than them.
“Everything we do, how we act, what we say, and how we conduct ourselves can either contribute positively or negatively to the brand of the profession. This is exactly why IPM was founded, to ensure integrity and professionalism among all those who chose to serve the profession,” Ekandjo told the congregation. Human resource professionals are responsible for recruiting and hiring skilled individuals who can drive a given organisation’s success.
They also play a crucial role in training and developing employees to adapt to evolving job requirements and stay engaged.
He added that they did not choose the profession simply because it provides a quick job opportunity, but rather the obligation to serve, nurture, develop and extract the
crème de la crème for their human capital. Also speaking at the opening was Erongo governor Neville Andre, who said that there is a need for HR managers to foster a sense of community, facilitate meaningful dialogue, and build bridges that enable the sharing of ideas, experiences and knowledge.
Andre then urged HR practitioners to create an environment that enables individuals to reach their full potential. “By leading with passion and purpose, we can inspire those around us to go above and beyond, to push boundaries, and to continuously strive for excellence. As managers, create an environment that fosters growth, encourages self-expression. Also, lead with passion and purpose so that you can inspire those around you to go above and beyond, to push boundaries, and to continuously strive for excellence,” the governor appealed. – edeklerk@nepc.com.na