Why Do Some HR Managers Struggle? Exploring Key Challenges and Solutions

Reasons for the failure of an HR manager

Inadequate communication skills, poor leadership qualities, lack of empathy, and the inability to adapt to changing environments are some of the key reasons behind the failure of an HR manager. Effective communication is essential for building relationships with employees and fostering a positive work culture. A successful HR manager should also possess strong leadership skills to guide and motivate their team towards achieving organizational goals. Empathy plays a crucial role in understanding employee needs and concerns, which helps in creating a supportive work environment. Lastly, the ability to adapt to new technologies and trends in HR practices is vital for staying relevant and effective in the field. By addressing these areas, HR managers can enhance their performance and contribute significantly to the success of their organization.

Dear Bhattacherjee,

It's a common problem. First of all, the employer doesn't have an idea of the role of the HR department. Functionally, the department is required, but during operations, the employer has given importance to Technical and Finance Accounts personnel in the organization. The HR department is a "THANKLESS JOB." Nowadays, the Accounts department personnel are also involved in the functions of the HR department. Any problem that persists is simply thrown into the HR court, at which point our department is required.

I HOPE THIS IS A GOOD TOPIC, OUR HR FRIENDS MAY PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND VIEWS.

Regards,
PBS KUMAR

Dear Ishita,

In many organizations, HR functions as a personnel department. Or we can say that just the name of the department has been changed but not the mindset. In some cases, when such managers change companies and move into HR, their mindset remains the same.

In one company, the HR manager was changed, and the atmosphere of that company totally changed. Earlier, everyone used to work in harmony and perform well. However, the divide and rule policy, lack of trust in any teammate, and forming one's own team... all these factors made the department worse. By using some unethical means, the manager achieved a few things that led to being in good books with the higher management. But all the teammates in HR are very demotivated. With such practices, in the long term, the organization always suffers, even though some short-term targets are achieved.

Do you agree?

Regards,
Ravindra

Dear Kumar,

It may not be a bad idea to admit the fact that the finance and accounts people are being used by the HR department for their work. I have seen in many companies where HR takes credit without doing anything. Hence, the purview of "thankless job" depends on the people engaged in such an area of work. The majority of HR people are not hardworking and people-friendly. However, I value your view, considering the fact that a dissenting view can also be a contributing view.

Further, if the HR department is efficient and hardworking, no accounts people would get into HR areas, and there would be no question of throwing HR to the court. To conclude, eventually, you are responsible for whatever you have tamed.

Gigy J

Dear All,

Some of our friends believe that HR professionals receive credit for the work of others without actually doing the work. However, the reality is that the job of HR is not as easy as it may seem. While they may appear relaxed and their work may seem simple, the internal struggles they face are often not understood by others.

The HR department carries a significant amount of responsibility, and the entire organization relies on this department for the smooth operation of the business. The level of involvement of other employees in HR activities depends on the company's management.

We do not welcome interference from others in our activities, nor do we allow anyone to criticize us. Remember, "Don't look at others, look at your heart for what you are doing."

- Sree

Dear all,

It's a nice topic to evaluate the HR department functions. The main difference I have observed in my career is that the P&A department is for management, while the HR department is employee-friendly.

It is because the HR Department does not understand the nature or the objective of the job itself. Something like to build, to develop, to deliver a message.

ELWAN

Success and failure are subjective in nature, and defining them objectively is very difficult. Failure or absolute failure is rare. We may consider underachievement of targets or effectiveness less than expected as forms of failure.

For the so-called failure or underachievement, one or more of the parties mentioned below can be considered responsible (all parties involved!):
- HR Manager
- Top Management/visionaries of the organization
- HR professionals (as a community)
- Changing scenario of business

Sharing my observations of the manufacturing industry, where unions are more active, the HR Head needs to be in a commanding position. When a person holding the HR Head's position leaves, it creates a vacuum. The unions never allow the newcomer to settle down easily, and subsequently, the command and control that the departing person had is never gained by the newcomer.

There can be industry-specific or other functional examples.

Dear All,

It is a fact that non-HR personnel perceive HR jobs as effortless. But let me tell them that HR jobs are usually more qualitative than quantitative, and thus they cannot justify how much effort has been put into them. HR professionals undergo a lot of hard work, constantly thinking and strategizing on how to maintain a balance between employees and management, with the intention that both parties benefit. However, in the end, it is often the HR professionals who do not gain much. It is often said that it is the HR's job to do so.

But believe me, it is not easy to be in HR. Building and maintaining human relationships are truly challenging tasks.

Regards,
Pritha

Hello Everyone,

Below mentioned are the key points which are responsible for the success or failure of an HR Officer/Manager:

Test yourself on the following points:
- Sense of belongingness among workers.
- Concerned with employees' problems or not?
- Is he/she a trouble solver for employees or not?
- Is he/she trustworthy for his/her employees?
- Are the employees respected?
- Can he/she foresee events happening in the organization?
- Level of Boldness: Because employees love and respect boldness in someone who can raise their voice for them.
- Be proactive for employees, but it does not mean to be against Management.
- If you are able to generate a source of information, it means you are successful.
- If employees of your organization discuss personal problems with you, it means you have a strong relationship with them, ultimately indicating success.

SEQUEEZ: If the employees of your organization are happy with your plans and views, it means you are successful.

Please provide feedback on the above points through mail or SMS.

Regards,

Anuj Vats
HR Officer
+919718572732
Anujvats2001@rediffmail.com

As per me, if a Manager HR lacks any one of the below-mentioned key items, there is a possibility of failure:

- Effective communication skills
- Clarity on Internal Customers and priority
- Strong hold on all HR services
- Statutory compliance awareness
- Understanding corporate dynamics
- Engaging top 40 to 70% of the workforce
- Adding value in all means to increase employee performance in partnership with delivery managers and top management
- Revise policies/culture/benefits based on frequent feedback (quarterly/half-yearly) on a win-win basis

In simple terms, if a manager HR fails to hire and retain good talent, it'll be considered a failure. To do these two simple things... :), I hope the manager must champion all the above-mentioned key items.

- KK

Dear Friends,

When Human Resource staff lack hard work and simply want to be in their office, then people start to think about them. It's true that some accounting people want to take credit for HR work, forgetting to acknowledge them. Do your work honestly.

Regards,
Kanyal H. Singh

Dear Gigy,

How can you say that HR people are not hardworking? Have you ever been in a plant? Do you know how to work in such an environment with people always expecting the best from you, and you have to be the bridge between management and employees? From my point of view, the job of both departments is equally important, but HR people have to face the irk of workers directly and pacify them accordingly, which others don't have to face.

Regards,
Rajesh

Hi,

This is really a very good topic to discuss. First of all, we (HR professionals) need to change our mindset that our job is not only to support management but also to take care of all employees. There is no doubt that every department in every organization tries to show its importance. But at the end of the day, the department that deals with the most vital resource of the organization, i.e., human resources, may be designated as one of the vital departments. The success of our HR department depends on how we lead our team and demonstrate our performance. From the outside, everyone thinks that HR people enjoy their work, but we know the actual fact that HR is one of the tough jobs to handle.

The title of the thread seems to have concluded that the HR Manager is a failure, whereas in reality, it is not so. The autonomy, responsibility, and accountability of an HR Manager depend on many factors, including the size of the organization, the size of the workforce, the nature of the business, the location, and the type of organization (i.e., Private, Limited, family-owned, MNC, etc).

The HR manager's job is a balancing act where, on one end, he/she has to meet the expectations of top management, and at the same time, they have to be a people's person. Various reasons could lead to someone failing in their duties, similar to any other function. Contributing factors may include the incumbent's skill levels, education, experience, and aptitude for the job they are in. However, generalizing about the function itself would not be fair. Situations are so diverse that in some cases, an organization can function without an HR Dept, whereas in large organizations, one can't imagine an organization without HR.

Once the HR department is in place, it indicates that management has recognized the need for HR, and now it is up to the incumbent to capitalize on the opportunity. Be passionate about your job and be fair in your decisions. HR is the need of the hour, as it is well established that the only variable in production/services performance is human resources!

Thanks & Regards,

Shish Ram Shivrayan

Dear all,

I strongly agree with HR Jyoti. Most people don't understand what HR stands for. HR means Human Resources, which in other words means PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. So, if you say HR practitioners are people's friends, you might be right to some extent because we maintain employer-employee relationships.

In my few years of experience in HR, I have found that most employers lack the knowledge of HUMAN CAPITAL. This is why you see challenges worldwide in retaining and recruiting potential candidates, resulting in a GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS. Ask yourself, why do most banks incur losses when FINANCIAL CAPITAL is considered everything?

I have come to realize that even an employer is supposed to be considered under HR as his/her resource.

Keep going, HR professionals. One day, they will realize that Finance Managers are the ones causing losses to most organizations.

Tchao.

Dear All,

Success and failure are part of every profession and hence true for HR too.

I think one of the main issues in Human Resource Management is that no formulas work here; 2+2 is not always 4 here.

When we reprimand an employee for doing something unethical at the office, we don't know exactly what his/her reaction will be. With experience or training on concepts like "Transaction analysis," the gap can be minimized.

Secondly, we act as a bridge between management and employees, and sometimes it becomes very difficult to maintain a balance. At times, if we listen to the employee, the business interest gets affected, and at times, if we listen to the management's decision, the employees' interest gets affected. A decision based on a long-term perspective might help the situation.

Thirdly, HR has to interact and coordinate with all other departments like admin, finance, sales, technical, etc. They have their own work schedules, and at times it becomes difficult for them to accommodate HR in their busy schedule. Timely reminders and proper planning might ease out the problem.

Let's put in our thoughts, views, suggestions to overcome the reasons for failures of the HR department.

Dear Kumar,

I strongly agree with and respect your words on the ground reality. Employers don't want to invest anything in HR and also have the mindset that the HR department has nothing to do, only because of a lack of knowledge about HR profiles. Other than this, individuals from the accounts department are seeking opportunities in HR. Many companies with fewer than 100 employees are only focusing on accounts and production, neglecting their assets for the sake of a small amount.

Thank you.