Public Sector Displeasure

The following is a poem about an interview process prom a cynical perspective. It addresses a displeasure in the HR process. The authors of Berman et al. (2010) intended for their readers to apply the information presented to a changing workforce with a progressive course of action. There are challenges in public sector human resource management however, managers will need to be innovative and invigorate change. It will be hr managers responsibility to restore faith in the public sector.
"The entire range of an agency's human resource functions - selection, recruitment, position management, compensation, training, appraisal, and labor- management relations - must be aligned with the norms of democratic culture if the dilemmas and contradictions discussed.. are to be resolved." (Berman et al. 2010).
The authors discourage that future managers accept what has always been, but take action, shape the labor force and prevent experiences such as the following:

The Human Resource: View from a Cynic (a poem)
© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
I’ve got your application here.
You’re a Minneapolis native?
I ask these things as "need to know."
You see, here, we’re "participative"!
Your predecessor’s out the door.
Problems too numerous to mention.
Listen to me and you’ll be fine,
And you’ll be here to get your pension.
I want weekly status reports.
Fully describe how your past week went.
Tell me all your work planned and done,
And, oh yeah, “practice empowerment”!
You’re empowered – apply yourself!
But do everything that I tell you!
If you don't, you’ll feel it later
When I do your performance review!
See H.R. for the forms to sign
And later I'll show you the budget.
And after some experience,
Then I’ll show you how to, ah, “fudge” it.
Know the key factors in your life:
The Company’s sales and production,
Its net income, its marketshare –
And understand "globalization"!
And, understand customers' needs.
Yes, always give what must be given!
You simply have to, there's no choice.
You see, here, we're "customer-driven"!
Between you and your employees,
Always “honor the new covenant.”
If they doubt you, and you need help:
Organization development!
Yes, if you’re stuck, they’ve courses in
Whatever you think you are needing.
Courses in time or stress management,
Team building – or even in Leading!
Our consultant says, “We must change,
And let ‘change’ be our incantation
If we’re to meet our grandest goal:
To ‘transform our organization’.”
That damn H.R.! Their latest fad?
“To appreciate diversity!”
(You’re short on your quotas, you know,
So, now, bring in more minorities!)
Yes, we have “soul in the workplace,”
But don’t let your feelings delay us!
Our company's ever-onward,
And doing it, “thriving on chaos!”
You can be here from "womb to tomb" –
You just take what The Company gives!
Commit yourself to its mission,
To its strategies, its objectives!
Yes, dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s
In all documents signed, filed or sent.
With luck and visibility,
You, too, can make Middle Management!
Me? Met one of my MBOs:
I computed the budget today.
Planned more than I ever needed
So my year-end spending is OK.
I “continuously improve”!
I bought all these new books off the shelf.
I took the time and scanned them some,
Then promptly “reinvented myself.”
I have my MBA, you know.
Yes, I can take pride in my leisure!
But, there's always something to do,
A new policy, new procedure ...
Sometimes I wish I could relax,
Take a minute and do what I please ...
But then we’d lose sight of our goal:
To compete like those damn Japanese!
Well, that’s all for today. I’m done.
You can go now. This is a good start.
Have any questions, just ask me,
Over you, right here on this org chart ...

http://managementhelp.org/personalwellness/cynicism/view-from-a-cynic.htm