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HR Isolation....Anyone?
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
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Hi there,
I've worked in HR now for 12 years and have made it to the so called "top job" in the field. I guess, I should feel happy, but I don't. Most of the time, I feel that no matter how cordial
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Forums » Topic Forums » HR Career Forum » HR Isolation....Anyone?
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 2:30 AM EST
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Posts: 18
First: 2/13/2007 Last: 12/26/2007 |
Hi HRDEV,
I see some potential contributors to your concern: 1. You express that your motivations and attitudes are benign. Employees look at your actions. Is there a gap between the two? 2. Be careful what you wish for: One can be viewed as nice and well-intentioned - but ineffective or biased. One can be viewed as nice and well-intentioned - and effective and just. One can be viewed as effective and just - but not terribly huggable. What really do you seek? 3. Pursuing a "happy medium" is not the same as pursuing win-win. And it is not always appropriate to seek win-win (or a happy medium). A happy medium may feel good to you or the company. But it often fails to address the core issues of an employee or a supervisor/ manager. About the distrust. As long as you are up front about the fact that your direct client is the company and not the employee, there is no need for distrust. The employee knows where you stand and can make more informed decisions based on that fact. It is when you try to rosy it up - in effect clouding the fact that your direct client is the company - that distrust emerges. I hope this is helpful. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 2:30 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 2/20/2007 Last: 2/20/2007 |
I worked in senior roles in HR for over 30 years for technology driven companies. I won national awards, published, helped businesses grow and flourish. I left the profession nearly 4 years ago because I felt that businesses were focusing too much on the short term, causing internal chaos, negativity, turmoil, with layoffs - hiring and then more layoffs. The churning was more than I could take in their move toward greater profitability (sometimes Greed). I saw benefits taken away while executive pay increased. I was being asked to close plants and help move work off shore as a competitive strategy rather than building a world class workforce here in the USA. As many businesses became risk adverse their acquisitions followed by cuts and downsizing to earn profit took precedence over research and development to grow business through innovation. As a positive builder of organizations, I was troubled by these trends and finally drew the line in the sand and said no more negativeness. No more ideocy in the name of fear and greed. I changed from industry to education, I changed from HR to functional general management. I can now get up in the morning and want to go into work. I enjoy what I'm doing, I am again growing something, know that my contributions have purpose that will lead to creation not destruction. A sad commentary on a lot of HR today that the role has been forced into mimiking the disrespectful image of Dilbert's Catbert character - but in different times it was well regarded, had stature and respect, felt great, positive and allowed you to grow something special - a company worthy of respect from its industry, employees, shareholders and community - That was when a company looked to be something better. Its mission and vision to work for all the stakeholders. Those were good times and I look back with thanks, but sadly, I'm not sorry I left it. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 3:10 AM EST
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Posts: 5
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 2/20/2007 |
I have worked within the HR profession for 16 years. 7 of those years I have been in positions were I significantly impacted decisions within a company.
I greatly understand the feeling that you are experiencing. From my professional experience, I have found 1 of 2 classic issues that contributes to what you are feeling. (1) You may need to make some changes in the way you do things. As PjBlue mentioned in their reply - "you got to make a difference. Get out on the floor and talk to the people." Management as well as staff needs to feel comfortable with you and how you perform your job. You need to prove that you genuinely have the interest for both parities. Only you can create such an atmosphere. (2) Management creates a very distrustful environment by their unethical and unfair work practices and HR often gets caught up in the middle. When you encounter such an environment I have found that either the HR deparment gives into management unethical practices and become corrupt themselves. Or, HR whether the storm and stands up for principles and the letter of the law. Or, those who want to remain honest make professional changes. The best advice I can make to you is honestly evaluate your situation, pray about it, meditate on it, and then make a wise professional decision. I hope everything goes well for you. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 3:12 AM EST
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Posts: 31
First: 8/5/2003 Last: 11/12/2009 |
Hi,
What you've described comes with the "territory" of the HR leader role. I would encourage you to forge close relationships with the members of the leadership team--CEO, CFO (especially the CFO since he/she is similarly situated in a "staff" function) VP of Sales & Marketing, the Chief of Technology, etc. They are the people who can give you needed input. I have a few, highly valued, long lasting friendships that stemmed from various jobs, but the friendships developed after I had left the jobs. I would also suggest you look for remedies for your sense of isolation from communities outside of your place of employment. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 3:30 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 2/20/2007 Last: 2/20/2007 |
Remember that the term compromise is not a "win-win". In the eyes of the people involved it is actually a "lose-lose". Each have to give something up to get to a compromise.
In our world of HR we often target a compromise and think we are doing a good thing, but actually, in relationship terms, we would be bettter off taking one side or the other. This can cause us to be on an island b/c by compromising we have alienated both parties. (right or wrong it happens) Professional relationships, as noted earlier, need to be based on respect of person and knowledge. That is where I would suggest you focus effort. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 4:31 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 2/20/2007 Last: 2/20/2007 |
I wear 2 hats and work 50% each for management and employees. I also try for win-win solutions. It is not always possible. If management dislikes half of my decisions and ees dislikes half of my decisions, then I am doing a good job. You will never be liked by everyone. If one group really likes you, then look at whether or not your decisions are lopsided one way or the other. At the end of the day, you have to be able to say to yourself that I did what a professional should have done, given the circumstances. Then, say I did a great job and forget about it. Tomorrow is another day and another challenge and decision. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 9:08 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 5/27/2004 Last: 2/20/2007 |
Great responses to this challenging situation. Having been in HR now for almost 12 years and reaching the next level to the top spot (VP HR), I must admit that I feel similar to HRDEV. It is not so much that I feel "isolated" but rather disillusioned. I fell into the HR role because I enjoyed working with people, helping to solve problems, and helping the employees of a company be productive to move the business forward. As I went up the corporate ladder, I found that to succeed, I had to let go of the more compassionate "human" resource function and focus more on managing the "human capital" of the company.
What ever happened to the notion of employees being the most valuable asset in a company? I have found that many companies can either go one way or the other - either focus solely on the business bottom line (mostly larger companies) or focus on employee enrichment and job satisfaction. I haven't come across many that pay attention to both areas at the same time. While I absolutely agree with the post suggesting to go out and meet the employees and "mingle" to build trust, if the company (or your boss) doesn't see any value in that time expenditure, it may be time to move on. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 10:47 AM EST
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Posts: 17
First: 9/27/2005 Last: 7/10/2011 |
Often the loneliest person is the CEO. That's one reason executive coaching is catching on big time, because it gives senior execs someone to talk with who can listen without an agenda. It can also be an opportunity for HR to step up. But relations with co-workers should at least be cordial and offer a sense of working together toward some productive ends. If not, I'd say HR is choosing or being forced to do stuff it shouldn't. HR shouldn't be police. If a boss has a problem with an employee we should be coaching THEM on how to handle it, not doing it for them and becoming the bad guy. In a very turbulent organization, plagued with down-sizing for years, we (HR) came to be regarded as handling the changes well and softening the blow for people, not as the ones to blame. Not that people were always happy when we showed up since it often meant changes, but they could see how much we contributed to making it go as well as possible. Now, I always said I didn't make personal friends since I'd probably have to fire every one of them someday, but three quarters of those who turned up at my "retirement party" (after I fired myself) came to thank us for how we let them go. That was genuinely heart-warming. Change is a fact of many business lives. How we help people handle it makes a huge contribution, whether it's hiring, firing or any other form of change. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 11:11 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 9/9/2003 Last: 2/20/2007 |
I'm betting you've arranged an executive coach for other leaders in your organization. Is it time to be good to yourself? Three months once a week. ROI running very high compared to other tactics . One report suggests 98.5 % satisfaction rate. Good luck. |
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HR Isolation....Anyone?
posted at 2/20/2007 2:15 PM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 7/22/2002 Last: 2/20/2007 |
Hi there!..
A couple of view points to share with the forum. 1. There is always a spec between 'Expectations' & 'Disappointments'. Should 'Expectations' be set right, 'Disappointments' can be reduced, though not evaded. 2. I feel when you keep reiterating with people the message that "when it is business, it is business and when it is time for fun, it is fun", it takes our relationship with employees in a more candid way. 3. Candidness in what we communicate and what we do, brings greater amount of trust on our part. If one commits something and acts adverse, then the real candidness in that individual is taken for task, which we HR folks (mostly) often fail to realise. 4. Do remember the fact that "you cannot make everybody happy all the time". 5. Differentiating between being "Empathetic" or "Sympathetic" to our employees and "Management-Centric" or "Candid" to the Management drives one in a long way to professionalism. |
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