When you hear the term “HR” what comes to mind? Let me take a guess … Policy Police? Compliance Committee? Thorn in my side? Chances are, these are some of the immediate connotations, based on a rather antiquated description of an HR professional. And trust me, I used to make the same assumptions, so no hard feelings.

However, I feel extremely privileged to be part of a new wave of HR practice. In my mind, HR Managers today have the ability to give a company a competitive edge and significant return on investment. This comes, with no surprise, from strategic planning and effective tactical execution.

Google is no exception, as Cathy Missildine-Martin discusses in her blog, “Profitability through Human Capital”. Google’s HR Model essentially says that HR Executives should be “Business people first, and HR people second.” What’s interesting here is the shift from thinking that HR professionals are road-blocks to big business. Google says the exact opposite, in fact. HR professionals are integral in the business process, and must actually understand how the business is run in order to be successful. I must say … I like their way of thinking!

Let’s take the Meltwater Group for example.

Our HR department is brand new, with 3 HR Professionals across the globe. What’s interesting about this team is that all three of us began in the International Management Trainee Program. We have all seen the sales side of the business, been successful with personal sales growth, managed teams and lead entire offices. Therefore, we are a “home grown” management group, who can sincerely empathize with the employees as well as the managers. You could say that we’ve been there, done that. And, most importantly, we know the significance of sales to the organization. Just as you see in Google’s model, our HR team really knows how this business is run, and our main goal is to support the business and the people who make it happen.

At the end of the day, our team seeks ROI and profitability for the company.The last thing we want to be is the “Policy Arm” of the business, deemed the “Road Block on the Path to Commerce.” Rather, we like to think of ourselves as the bridge between the company and the people.

And let’s talk people for a second, shall we?

I’ve worked in several companies, and never before have I seen such passion put into finding the right people for the job. If there is one thing Meltwater has, it’s a group of amazing, carefully selected individuals. Our managers put hours upon hours into the recruitment process and will debate into the wee hours of the morning before extending a job offer. Human Capital is BY FAR our MOST valuable asset.

And so is born the Meltwater HR Department, with the not so small task of supporting all of these amazing people.

In our minds, happy employees equal good business. Our team has rolled out many projects in 2010 with the specific goal of “People Support.” These projects include everything from New Hire Kits for new employees, Manager Guides for our Managing Directors, to an HR Venting Hotline that is set to launch next week, giving our employees an anonymous outlet to vent their frustrations directly to the internal HR team. We have also been traveling throughout our areas, meeting our people, and offering our time in one-on-one meetings that allow the employees to feel comfortable and safe in their HR interactions. All of these efforts are aimed at increasing employee happiness, productivity … and ultimately, return on investment for the organization.

With that being said, the Meltwater HR Professionals have a unique opportunity to bend the traditional HR role, which is really exciting! The team is in agreement that we’re NOT here to dictate, rather to create balance. And proper balance can lead to profitability and employee happiness … two things that can propel this company to a whole new level.