Why Hiring New Staff Is Sacred Work

Many of us consider our Human Resource departments necessary evils. Those “rule makers” who hold us back with all their bureaucratic red tape. Don’t they know we have more important things to do?! Actually, yes they do. They know exactly how important what you do is, and therefore they are unwilling to let you get swallowed up by your own chaos. I’m sure there are some ghastly HR terrors out there who have made your life as a leader a living hell. Let’s pretend they are the exception and consider for a minute what great HR directors might be trying to protect us from. Human resources are sacred. Humans—living flesh and blood, children of God—are sacred. Resources—the gifts, talents, abilities and experiences of these humans—are sacred. And you as a leader have the incredibly divine opportunity to marry human resources with the vision and purpose that God has called your organization to fulfill. This is sacred work. It’s holy. It’s significant. And therefore it should not be taken lightly.  It should not be hurried paper pushing. It should be thoughtful, reflective, prayerful toiling. Every human resource that you employ needs your great care, concern and shepherding. They need your thoughtful consideration of the marriage of their gifts with your needs. They need you to understand the significance of how their employment impacts every area of their lives—their sense of value, their family safety and health, their circle of community. These human resources—these human beings—are not human widgets to be mashed into your frantic assembly line of progress. They are more than simply moving parts of whatever great machine you’ve created. So as you consider your human resources … Slow down. Consider carefully. Pray discerningly. And recognize the sacredness of the decision you face. Because it matters. HR is sacred because it is the stewardship of God’s holy work in fragile humans.