Editor’s Note: Dr. John Sullivan has been a strategist in HR and talent management for over 30 years. His specialty is HR strategy and designing world class HR systems and tools for Fortune 200 firms. He’s never been shy about telling it like it is.
That’s why TLNT asked him to share his thinking in a video series titled “$#*!@ Dr. John Sullivan Says!” Look for these videos weekly here at TLNT.
The question comes up: when there is a natural disaster — like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, or a tornado, or hurricane, or something else — what should HR do?
According to Dr. John Sullivan, HR has to be involved, but their primary role is to coordinate.
“We don’t have enough money or resources to manage the entire effort,” he says, “so I recommend that HR does play a role but more in coordinating getting workers to work and things like that, and not in running the whole process.”
He notes that usually, there are three responsibilities that HR has in the area of a disaster: