By: Lisa Pinkard, Emplicity's Fearless HR Leader

I was thinking the other day, that HR is a lot like managing a circus. Here is how I would describe the main attractions:

Tight Rope Walker – Ever have that manager that is really good at playing both sides of the Fence? They know how to relate to employees, yet they can still wear their manager hat and hold employees accountable. This is a fine line to walk and as well as a hard manager to find. Good tight rope walkers (managers) can balance their work, employees and every so often their ring leader.

The Ring Leader – No doubt this would be the CEO. In charge of the show, announces all of the acts and ultimately, everybody reports to the Ring leader. Although none of the real work is done by the Ring leader, the show would not go on without them.

The Clowns – Really, do you really have to ask about this one? Of course it is the sales team… (just kidding Sales, you know we love you!) Seriously though, these are the jokers that need a good pie in the face from time to time. Clowns don’t take their work seriously and will do everything they can to avoid the work that needs to be done. Although everyone loves a good clown, these are not the best most productive team members.

The Elephants – Well let’s just say these are your unmotivated employees. They tend to weigh down the organization and will work for peanuts, just as long as they have a place to lay their heads. They come to do the job, nothing more and nothing less. Although they seem to produce “just enough” to fly under the radar (tight rope)….these are the employees that everyone talks about. “I can’t believe they haven’t fired that guy yet."

The Lions – These are your employees that will eat their young… (hmmm these could be sales employees too???) The lions are go-getters at any cost. While employers love aggressive and proactive employees, you have to keep these ones tame as they can get out of hand if not managed.

Giraffes – These are your loyal, stick their necks out for you, dedicated employees. At times they can be “A” players and other times fall into the “B” category. While everyone needs a good giraffe you have to make sure that you continually motivate and reward these types of employees so they won’t morph into elephants.

Zebras – These employees are black and white in the sense that things are right or wrong. They stereotypically are accountants, but not always. Detailed instructions, policies and procedures make them feel comfortable and they tend to like their cage (office) in the back of the office not to be disturbed. Think twice about putting a zebra in the same cage as a clown, you make have a disastrous outcome.

So, whether it is scooping up after the elephants, cleaning up after the clowns or wrestling the lions, the HR team has to know how to manage all of these circus freaks! The key is to all this, is knowing the different kinds of animals you are dealing with and handling them with care.

For more information about how to run your circus more smoothly please contact your Emplicity HR Department at 877.HR.MADEZ (476.2339) ext. 6