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5 Complaints About HR and How to Overcome Them
Douglas Hoffman, HRGuru
March 05, 2009
As HR professionals, we’ve all heard the usual complaints about human resources. We’re also aware that most employees would rather undergo a root canal than deal with us. Why the animosity? Is it possible that some of the accusations, though harsh, may have merit? In the spirit of honest self-reflection, HRGuru examines the most commonly voiced complaints about HR and our effectiveness (or occasional lack thereof). After all, if we know what our clients are thinking and saying, we’ve got a good chance of overcoming their objections, and maybe changing our own behavior for the better in the process.
Complaint No. 1. HR people do not understand the business
This may be the most widespread, and most accurate, complaint against HR.
1. Emphasize business learning in your regular curriculum: If it’s not the right time to get an MBA, take a business course at your local college. Make sure you are familiar with the basics of business strategies, marketing, and finance. (Test: Do you know what COGS is? Case in point).
2. Pay attention to the business strategy and objectives in staff meetings: Too many HR people think of their jobs as distinct from those of their clients, instead of thinking of a collective set of tasks targeting the same goal. A good first step to behavioral change: pay attention in staff meetings, ask questions about business decisions being made, and try to customize your deliverables to meet the new objectives. For example, if you are rolling out a bonus stock program to the organization, tailor your guidelines for managers, enabling them to reward the key players based on recent changes in the product strategy.
3. Build business into HR training. If you have responsibility (or even input) for training within the HR department, push to include business training. Schedule seminars with both internal and external leaders, where they’ll explain the business works.
Next page: HR people care more about the process than the outcome
McArthur
18 days ago
14 comments
Yes all very good but we were writing the same sorts fo articles 20 years ago - why are we so slow???
southern
20 days ago
8 comments
Good article. A good HR Pro should read it.
ramon
21 days ago
6 comments
Good article. Out of 18 years in work force, I've only met 1 HR person out of 20 plus who knew what line employee daily task, and hardship they face and able to relate language wise. Most are rubber stampers of upper management decision and are afraid to give objective input from the employee's stand point why a policy or procedure might possibly not work or meet resistance. Instead they just run with THE PLAN knowing it will fail, wasting time, and money and ignore the grumblings of the masses. I think before a new HR person gets his/her cubicle they ought to spend a day working in the different trenches of the company so they would have a clue what their company and employee's do for a living.
ljhaft
21 days ago
4 comments
There is no excuse for HR NOT to understand the business. They need to understand the culture of the organization as well as that of individual groups. They need to understand the skill sets that need to be hired in or developed in order to maintain a competitive edge. Unless you understand the business, you will always be "tactical" and rarely "strategic". HR should also insist on being part of any competitor watch team as well.
subbujsree
3 months ago
2 comments
Great Article...
slucas1
3 months ago
2 comments
The reality here is that HR, everyone within HR, needs to act and be viewed as a business partner. Without the knowledge of the business and the initiative to help the business units thrive, HR will always be seen as the group that you go to for hiring, firing, and complaining.
The overall subject matter was great.
cjcaballer
3 months ago
24 comments
This is a very good article. The one I have most heard is that HR personnel do not know the business. But this has been said referring to the entire HR department. It is important that a HR VP, Manager or Director implements regular trainings within his/er department about business strategies as the article says; but it is crucial to create and implements trainings about the industry they are working for as well.
Another concept that HR personnel need to know and practice is Team Work, not only within the department, but with the entire company. At the end of the day, we are customer service and we are the ones that make not only the internal clients but the managers as well aware of the consequences of their actions
HRAspired
3 months ago
8 comments
I like the insights as well. It does give HR professionals a heads-up. I will always believe HR to be a major function to the company because it covers the betterment of the business and the employees and by the way COGS is a finance term Cost of Goods Sold.
raah
3 months ago
18592 comments
Great One..Liked It...
acandido
3 months ago
2 comments
great insights, I completely agree
ines
4 months ago
4 comments
Great article!
Marylou
8 months ago
2 comments
Great article. I think all HR people need to think 'why do they need us here?' and try to merit the trust and expense the organization puts into us.
Account Removed
8 months ago
For eleven years I have been unemployable in my field. I'm an older worker, and HR merely talks over my head as if I were a fifth grader. They expect me to genuflect, cower, and bleat just to get the opportunity to TALK to an employer. They want me servile, not intelligent. They want me to apply for jobs that will bore me to death and render me a wage-slave, when in fact I've written six books and run my own businesses. HR is the New World Order undifferentiated. It has gotten to the point I don't even talk about it anymore. I'll starve before I'll play your game.
kbrister
8 months ago
24 comments
Great perspective and useful information.
TinaSchenewerk
8 months ago
36 comments
Advice well needed. We can get angry against the stereotypes or take a step back and look at how HR feeds them and what we can do to overcome them. Thanks!