True confession: I’ve spent the last eight years dedicated to the HR profession—and I find it rewarding, fulfilling, and impactful. I believe in the value of HR. But when I meet someone new and tell them that I’m in HR, a common response is, ”Oh..so you like, fire people and all that. I would hate to be in HR.” And here’s the thing—there are some valid reasons for why HR gets a bad rap. Let’s talk about them. And let’s talk about what we can do to change the perception.
Incompentent or Just Learning?
One of the top reasons people don’t like HR is that many HR employees aren’t properly trained for their roles. If someone bungles your paycheck, you’re going to have feelings about it. So many people in HR have a story about working in payroll or as an administrative assistant and having HR duties pushed on them. They find themselves struggling through it and learning as they go. While they eventually grow into their roles, the beginning can be a real challenge.
Xenium has a great solution for this. Our HR Business Partners work with clients to fill in the gaps and help more junior HR professionals find their footing and grow. As new challenges come up, they can always lean on Xenium in the areas they’re not yet skilled in.
Lackey for Leadership or Support for All People?
There’s a common perception that HR is only there for the company. That their reason for being is to support leadership and keep the company from getting sued. But here’s the thing—HR is an employee of the company, just like any other employee. They’re hired to carry out the organization’s mission. If people aren’t happy and supported, the organization can’t reach its goals.
It’s important to combat bad perceptions by starting things off on the right foot. HR departments need to actively communicate they’re there to support their people. Communicating everything that HR handles—from recruiting to compliance to benefit—and keeping lines of communication open helps to show there’s more to HR than playing defense.
Bad Guy or Mouthpiece for Bad News?
Another reason HR gets a bad rap? We’re often only visible when bad things are happening. When layoffs are being communicated or someone’s being terminated or disciplined, HR is in the room. The other challenge is that some leaders or managers actually rely on HR to be the bad guy. Delivering bad news is hard. But at the end of the day, HR isn’t the decision maker and shouldn’t always have to own the message.
We believe it’s really important for HR to be a presence beyond bad news. HR professionals can build relationships with other employees by showing up for regular team meetings, being there as a supportive resource, communicating benefits, or being a part of employee surveys. HR can also help build leaders up with the tools they need to deliver negative messages and have those difficult conversations.
Gate-Keeper or Mediator?
Another reason people get frustrated with HR is that we’re often in the middle of difficult decisions or conversations. Often employees will come to HR and ask questions about policy and want to see change. Ultimately, we’re not the decision maker and need time to get back to them. This can make people feel like we’re standing in the way of what they need.
It’s important to communicate HR’s role as a mediator. We’re there to support on both ends of the spectrum to find a solution that works for everyone. One of my favorite things about my role is listening and understanding where people are coming from, so I can help identify the root cause of what’s happening and what kinds of solutions we might be able to put into place.
The Takeaway? HR is Vital
With everything that’s happened over the past two years, organizations really are seeing how vital the HR role is. Companies need to educate managers and employees on what HR is, what we’re best at, and how we can help. And if companies don’t have the full HR team they need, outside solutions like Xenium can help support internal teams, provide manager training or show up as an unbiased neutral third-party for sticky issues. Ultimately, we’re here to help things run smoother and ensure people have what they need to do their best work.