Do Managers Listen to HR?

Dear Friend
I have been practicing HR not for soo long period as you did, still, my experience is also with some how the other a same kind of organisation where HR has no major role other than hiring, maintaining and firing. I was so upset with the kind of situation I was into, where no attention is given to HR, afterall “ME”. Who would like to work without attaining attention. But I fixed in my mind that any employee who come to me is my customer, and I wanted customer satisfaction. In my org. the dept consisted of 3 incl the Mgr. People didnt like to come to the dept as they were not benefited in any ways. I wanted to change that. I tried my level best for this aim. First I made a good rapport with all the dept. In your case, I know its not applicable. Then for supporting the employees I was personally with them till they get their job done. Gradually they realised that if they come to me, they will be benefited. But with some time I changed that statement that they come to the dept, they will be benefited. For this I brought two more people to the HR team. In a nut shell, “MAKE PEOPLE THINK & FEEL THAT YOU ARE THERE FOR THEM”.
Best of Luck. I did appreciate if you can give me feedback for my msg.

Dear Frustrated HR Manager,

It took me years to finally figure out how to cope with idiots in management. In short, your job is to advise, suggest, and recommend. If you’ve done your best and can sleep with a clear conscience each night, quit worrying.

I posted a recent blog, “Maintaining Your Sanity in the Midst of Stupid Managers” that fits your situation well. Check it out and start sleeping better: http://HRbytheNumbers.com.

- Barry

Dear HR manager,
I am in a situation not that dissimmilar than yours. I too work in the food manufacturing industry at a rather large plant. I understand where you are comming from and can simpathize. What you can do about this situation is listen to the managers and try to see where they are comming from, and why they seem to never listen. Then try and build a relationship of trust and respect between you and the managers. You can then leverage that relationship and trust into the ability to affect some real change. I know this is a slow process but it can be one of immense satisfaction for you in terms of esteem and influance as well as a potentialy huge payback for the company you work for.

Dear Friend,

Are you having regrets and second thoughts on being in HR because you said you fell into HR. If you are, then your should seriously review your career choice. Your passion for HR should elevate you beyond the tough working or environmental conditions.

Don’t be let down by getting ignored by your bossess of line management. This is part and parcel of the job – to serve the devil and the deep sea. You must understand that, unlike other managers, we HR have the biggest role to serve out the strategic needs of an company or organisation – its vision, mission and values. HR are suppose to be the inner voice of conscience for all the stakeholders. Unfortunately, many leadership and cultural barriers stand in the way of HR doing a good job. We would not be in this current global economic mess if leaders had heeded the call of HR in reminding them that the urge of greed should not prevail over values.

There is only so much that HR can do, hence, stick to your accountability in giving the best advice. If they chose to ignore, then “Let Them Fall”. As time goes, they will either learn to respect your call the hard way or develop into incompetent leaders that will spell their downfall one day, hopefully in the near future.

So, hang in there. Keep your sights on those whom you see as hopefuls and worth your salt and pepper. Leave the hopeless to their own fallacy and downfall. Remain sincere and committed always to your profession – if, in your heart, it is HR.

Remember, happiness is an internal condition. It’s what you make of the situation or circumstances that count. Don’t allow a few lousy external stimuli mess things up. HR is such a explosive, dynamic and exciting place. Keep your-self busy, refocus your attention elsewhere – how to serve to the happiness of others. e.g employees. Anchor their happiness to yours and vice versa. Catch the secret and you shall be happy.

It is a shame to hear that even the general manager does not treat your advice with proper consideration and respect. Without understanding your relationship with the companies managers I think I would try to elicit the general managers help. Make him your ally. Let him know you would rather spend more time training and improving relationships and less time doing damage control.

Ask him if he can meet with you and let him know you are concerned about the relationship between managers and their subordinates. Ask him what he thinks you can do to improve the relationship. Again without knowing your relationship with him, I would come right and ask why he chooses not to heed your advice. You may find that he has concerns or a perspective that you had not considered before. Maybe he doesn’t understand why his way is not the best way. I would make sure he understands that following your advice will make his job easier in the long term and will save the company money.

Happy employees means more production, less absenteeism, more profit.

Best of luck

Dear Friend:
Remember one thing…When you feel that some one creating problems for the management to implement the policies, (1) management should have to decide to take this person away. You must have to set a single example for all.

Second solution is that you meet with GM in the presence of CEO and get suggestions about the HR policies that you wanted to implement in the firm. Suggestions could go in you favor and can go in against you. But you should defend these policies that what are the benefits of these policies.

Third solution is that you pass a policy on HR policies violation and strictly convey your message to every one that these policies need to be implemented.

Fourth solution is that whatever policies you want to implement in your firm, 1st get suggestions about your policies from the GM and other high officials and then you take step for the implementation. If after this, GM again does the stupid behavior then talk to him/her and if you find again this factor then intimate to his boss (CEO). Warn him/her and advice him/her to improve the attitude and professional behavior.

Dear Friend,

Let us go in for real soul searching exercises .
Let us examine in today’s business scenario as what gives companies competitive advantage ? What are the challenges leaders face in times of crisis and instability ? How do companies identify / attract and develop or retain the BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST. Organisations worldwide are grappling with this issue. On the heels of a global transformation from a physical asset dominated economy to a service and information driven economy in which INTANGIBLE’s drive the marketplace it is a proven that SINGLE GREATEST ASSET is the human capital.
Therefore HR professionals are definitely occuping the centrestage across the world much more than yesteryears. The challenge for practising HR professionals is to understand “business”and what role they can play in facing those challenges. This will be a drastic move from the earlier role of “handling transactions” ( payroll-employee welfare schemes etc) to a role of handling transformations ( OD, Cultural change, employee branding etc). Human Resources Development as a function will be never redundant, but if HR professionals dont gear themselves up, then it becomes a thankless and blame-bank department.

Hmmmm…..my response isn’t so nice….that “eye rolling” GM….. Give him just enough to hang himself. Document everything. Sooner or later his ignorance will cost the company money and you’ll have a new GM. You can whisper “told ya’ so” when you are mailing him his COBRA package. You’re welcome, good luck!

in my situation here HR and the most wanted, however sometimes recommendations were always decline especially dealing with my staff welfares. DONT KNOW WHY?

Dear friend
HR is a function that you gain hatred of most of your colleagues. I bet that is why the other managers just ignore those and and you are the person to fall into the trap. My advice is involve all senior managers in HR policy making, finalise documents among them and in the decision making process of of HR related issues. I work in an NGO and we have the management team who passes all HR decisions

Typical of most in HR, I fell into HR, lol! Amazed at the number of HR people who aren’t formally trained.