Do you recall your workplace and its employees being satisfied with the HR department? In most cases, the answer would be a big NO! Be it a large-sized organization or small businesses, the perception for HR remains the same.
Ever wondered how HR creates this impression about themselves across several companies? Is it their inability to perform the given task? Or their lack of understanding and support towards all employees?
Well, there could be numerous reasons behind this, which we shall explore below. But one thing that is constant in all these complaints: employees are unhappy with the HR, hence project resentment towards them.
In more recent times, the department is viewed as untrained or inexperienced to handle certain situations hence making employees frustrated.
It is ironic as the HR department is responsible for training and developing employees to reach greater heights. Contrary to the name Human Resources, the department lacks the 'human' element on the job and often leaves employees longing for a new change.
A workplace is driven by motivated and happy employees who put their best foot forward to yield benefits to the company. More often than not, these employees are left clueless and desperately wanting to quit due to inefficiencies in the HRMS.
That is the impression an employee can take with them that can affect your company's potential growth opportunities too.
Don't believe me?
Lend us your ears to discuss a recent study conducted in the United States. A survey by an independent body found that 1 out of 3 individuals want to leave their job or switch to better opportunities because of the HR's inability to perform.
We find these numbers heart wrenching as every employee has immense potential that often goes unnoticed by HR.
Do you happen to know an HR manager in a similar situation? Or are you stuck in this void and looking to break free? We have got you covered as we deep dive to understand the reasons why your employees would hate the HR department.
Also, we think it is essential to change this perception, and it's time to put on our thinking hats to look for some constructive changes. Hence, we would be sharing some practices or tips that could help revive the energy at your workplace.
Reasons why employees hate HR
Let us dive in deeper to understand the reasons for this resentment and how HR can step in to improve and possibly change this perception.
HR works for the company and its management.
HR works for the welfare of its employees and the organization in general, right? We would like to believe so, however, the reality differs!
Several large organizations and small businesses have witnessed the department favoring the management or the company's policies. While we understand that the interest of these stakeholders is essential, we cannot ignore employee grievances.
One must understand employees are also putting in equal amounts of hard work and effort. One wouldn't expect to receive ill-treatment from HR.
A stance like this by HR would hamper their faith and willingness to continue.
They feel discouraged to put their best foot forward as HR's interest lies in siding the management or the company. We believe this short-sighted vision by HR only tarnishes the growth prospects of the company.
HR is too policy-driven in its approach.
A common complaint heard from employees is that HR is too policy-driven. It is understandably challenging to take a stance between employees or management.
However, HR is driven to keep up their well-balanced jobs and receive better paychecks year after year; hence they swear by their policies.
While policies are meant to be followed, certain scenarios call for an exception. An HR's failure to recognize and make amends, in this case, is unacceptable.
We see them play the policy card by pulling out various excuses to side the management and completely ignore the employee's concerns. This move fails to bring them any respect, and in turn, hampers the company's reputation.
HR fails to be objective and fair in its approach.
A popular opinion among employees is that HR managers see everything in one dimension. They fail to see situations in a practical and fair manner hence hampering their judgment.
Their judgment can potentially ruin an employee's career path. But, HR prefers biased decisions and communicates the same to the management, leaving the employee with no other alternative.
Their failure to acknowledge the employee's point of view and empathize with the situation often leads to increased employee dissatisfaction.
Most of these cases end up being a "She said, he said" scenario with no light at the end of the tunnel.
HR is incompetent.
Have you come across a scenario where you needed guidance from an HR personnel but found it redundant?
Fret not, for this is the scenario for most of the employees.
In several cases, when employees approach the HR Manager, they generally over complicate or confuse them.
Moreover, they find them untrained and inexperienced in managing complicated situations. Their lack of expertise in specific cases affects employee morale and performance.
Several individuals receive well-written emails that ignore the crux of the issue or are redirected to someone else, leading to employee burnout.
HR is dishonest.
Doesn't it sound strange that HR managers would be dishonest at their workplace or its employees?
As a matter of fact, most employees have found that HR is well-known to twist and bring their own stories of interpretation when asked. It can be bothersome when employees find themselves in a fix when fighting the management for the truth.
An unruly side of the HR shows the incapability of the management and how much it values employees.
HR department indulges in office politics.
Office politics can deter an employee's morale and growth potential as it plays with their mind.
Instead of focusing their energy and being productive at work, they find themselves lost in these meaningless conversations. We are sure most of us have experienced office politics once in our workplace. They are often the root cause of stagnant growth and discouraged employees.
It is the HR Manager's responsibility to clear this air so employees can direct themselves to better opportunities. Instead of creating an encouraging and positive environment of growth, HR encourages office politics that lead to toxic and adverse workplace discussions.
HR lacks interaction with employees.
Everyone reading this may recall their interaction with HR while working was only restricted to their joining formalities, salary concerns, or resignation.
This limited interaction creates a drift in the workplace, even in SMEs. It is difficult for HR managers to bridge the gap and elevate the team's spirit.
In most workplaces, the HR works in a separate corner, away from all the office hustle. It keeps them away from important moments of interaction with fellow colleagues.
HR fails to address real problems.
Have you ever felt that the HR manager picks on petty issues rather than actually solving real ones?
They fail to provide direct answers when faced with problems. Moreover, they are more worried about dress codes, ID cards of employees, or any other trivial issue rather than focusing on enhancing employee morale or performance.
Their ignorance of such pressing issues makes employees despise them even more.
HR fails to treat human resources as humans.
More often than not, HR has taken the name too literally as they ensure to squeeze every last bit of their employees.
They think of the employees as any other company resource that they need to utilize till the last breath. However, this inhumane attitude hardly gets them anymore. We see employees hitting burnout faster than usual and getting dissatisfied with their jobs. Their lack of motivation to continue further affects the turnover at the workplace.
Rather than being employee-centric and considering it built a social bond, HR often seems to categorize employees according to their performance while burdening them to follow company rules.
Practices to Re-energize Employees
While we understand HR as a job role is extremely difficult to pull off and most certainly is not everyone's cup of tea.
However, recognizing the drawbacks in the system and making amends to them is a good HR manager's quality. It is in their hands to ensure all folks are directed towards a common goal and are motivated enough to pursue them collectively.
Here are a few tips that the department can work on to re-energize their employees.
1. Set agendas of HR
HR needs to identify the issues that are of the most profound concern and plan on how to tackle those issues. Small businesses can also make use of it as setting the agendas considering the circumstances, and the extent of trouble caused to the employees by the HR can be an excellent way to start to rebuild the trust.
You may ask how to go about it?
Well, the first thing the HR should do is plan what all issues are concerning and identify current practices within the company. Once this is identified, the HR can prioritize the issues and create a detailed action plan for executing the tasks at hand.
2. Communicate
We believe that most employees in every company, SMEs or MNC, agree that HR works in the best interest of the company and not the company's employees.
To change this very perception, the HR department can be proactive and communicate with its employees about the possible issues and the steps taken to rectify those. This would change the perception of the employees about HR's attitude and help employees to communicate better and find solutions efficiently.
Moreover, this will build the comfort that is needed by employees when they want to approach the HR department. This will bridge the gap of discomfort for both.
3. Processes to ease doing business
Don't you think the work by HR involves far too much paperwork and documentation, leaving most folks uninterested in the process?
Now, with the increasing number of HR software that is accessible to every individual and company, many HR Managers have chosen to adopt software to increase supervision and efficiently conduct business.
HR can make use of HRMS, websites, or apps to reduce friction and provide all possible details through the app in a secured manner to ensure there are lesser conflicts that were previously prevalent owing to paperwork and human errors.
As employees can access the app and view their information, it will free up resources to utilize for other tasks.
4. Focus on People
HR has everything to do with Human Resources. However, haven't we felt inhumanely with their systems, paperwork, and everlasting delays to execute work?
With the use of HR Softwares and HRMS, HR can connect with their employees better through technology and help reduce any anxiety about their performances with timely updates and improved accessibility with the HR department regarding any queries.
Having to communicate efficiently and respond to cater to the needs of the company's employees can help to motivate and change the equation they share with their employees.
A recent study showed 80% of individuals in the US are content and satisfied with their jobs due to HR's ability to focus and respect all employees.
5. Participation and Education
HR functions of Small business can involve their employees in specific decision making and evaluation.
Having employees participate in the HR policies could soar employees' confidence tremendously as their issues would be heard and solved.
Similarly, HR can have a transparent onboarding process about the current systems to new employees or, in case of any updates of policies, procedures to ensure there is no resistance.
It would help in avoiding any resistance that further during the job. It can easily be implemented by SMEs and large companies. HR could work along with individual employees to deeply understand their concerns and make it more acceptable and efficient.
6. Increase HR's competencies
The board can choose to improve its HR competencies to ensure that there are no employees left disappointed.
A strong HR can always facilitate and work better in the interest of employees, and this could be well received by the board of directors as well. This way, everyone can focus on the larger picture.
It can be done through the following methods:
• Performance management matrix to keep track of all employees
• Training and Development of HR and the company's employees
• External consultant to facilitate any issues and solving them right away
• Risk and Reward systems based on KPIs (Key performance indicators) to encourage and improve performance
We strongly feel that despite this strong persona that HR has gathered over the last few years, the field has the potential to turn it around and grow for the best.
Times are rapidly changing, and we are sure HR is one department to keep up with it.
All that is needed is to provide employees with support and motivation when needed, so they feel that their opinions and presence matters at the workplace.
This, in turn, will make the workplace a positive place to work.
SumHR is a one-stop solution for all your HR needs. If you are looking for HR software or need to know more about anything under the sun about HR, then we would highly recommend you to visit them.
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