Millions of people around the world tuned in for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah. Like many others, we were watching intensely as the pair spoke candidly for the first time about the disastrous treatment they endured while working as senior Royals.
We propose that the Royal workplace needs a major overhaul of their people management. So, we’ve spoken to Chief People Officer, Alex Hattingh at Employment Hero to find out the HR makeover that the Palace needs, plus future Royals and future generations deserve.
Diversity is something to be championed
Throughout the interview, Meghan and Harry were not afraid to point to racism as the root of the discrimination that they had been subjected to by both the Royal institution and the British media. In one of the most distressing parts of the interview, Meghan shared that the Royal family had expressed concern over the skin tone of their son Archie, and that the Palace had intentions to change Royal conventions so he would never receive the ‘Prince’ title.
Just like with corporations, the institutions who reject diversity not only lose out on all of the benefits of diverse thinking, they become more disconnected from a multicultural society and increasingly out of touch with the new generation who are demanding more.
We know that Millennials and Gen Z (who are now the world’s largest population) will not accept a lack of diversity, and they’re willing to go after those who slow down progress. How much longer can the Royals continue when they’re so out of touch with an increasingly dominant generation?
Middle management can be culpable
If Queen Elizabeth is the distant CEO, Prince Charles is the apathetic middle manager. During the interview Harry shared that Prince Charles stopped taking his calls after a certain point, effectively abandoning him and Meghan and turning his back on the trouble they were facing.
The success of a company depends on the actions of its staff at every level. Middle managers have a duty to bring understanding and clarity to workplace conflicts, bridging the gap between junior and senior staff members.
Onboarding guides are essential
In any job, a detailed onboarding guide is an absolute must. Your incoming recruit may be absolutely great for the role – and positioned to do a stellar job – but there might be a few quirks of a new company that they might not be aware of.
If you don’t let people know what is expected of them, you set them up for failure and stress. If you share the details of the role and conduct helpful training, you both can start the job with your best foot forward and a sense of mutual understanding.
Mental health must be taken seriously by employers
Anyone in 2021 knows how important it is to care for mental health – apart from the Royals apparently. The impacts of poor mental wellbeing can be devastating for individuals and their loved ones. People experiencing risks to their mental health as a result of their work deserve assistance and compassion – from their workplaces and, of course, their families.
What can we learn from Meghan and Harry’s story?
It’s good to see that after some difficult times, Meghan and Harry were able to somewhat resign from their toxic workplace. Although their Royal experience is burned into their CV, they seem to be paving their own way forward and living and working authentically.
As for the Royals… Although the institution is yet to comment on the controversial interview, we hope that they will be able to take some learnings from this situation. The rest of the working world knows how important HR is to running a functioning business, how long can they last without it before they cease to remain a viable organisation?
