Dear Editor,
Why do all the bright and forward thinking administrations of the last two decades so much enjoy living in the past – a behaviour not recognisable by their regional and international counterparts? The former all insist on the management of the Personnel Function. So that one wonders what expression is used when communicating with foreign agencies (so many) at home and abroad?
The recent advertisement by the Ministry of Labour for Personnel Officers must clearly be a deliberate attempt to discourage candidates qualified in Human Resources Management – a chronic indifference exhibited throughout the Public Service. So that there is little or no compassion exhibited by these untrained functionaries that could alert insensitive (public) employers to the fact that in these times of changes of so many different climates, there is urgent need to communicate, to motivate, to provide accommodation for feedback from which the former can learn to do
better, than repeat the errors of pompous authority; to be particularly concerned of the implications of having a high proportion of female employees who must cope with too many insensitivities. Why is it so difficult to understand that in organisations productive human resources are in fact human beings who desire to feel respected?
On a more practical note, opportunity should be sought with the GOAL Scholar-ship programme to identify scope for converting ‘Personnel’ to ‘Human Resources’ Officers – urgently needed in the Ministry of Labour.
Sincerely,
Human Resources Director (Ret’d)
