Feeling Overlooked in HR? How Can I Make a Noticeable Impact in My Company?

I need great help. I am an HR professional in a construction company. I perform all HR duties, yet I don't receive the recognition I deserve after doing a good job. After speaking to my Managing Director, she suggested bringing something new or implementing a noticeable change in the company.

Kindly assist me with this. I would be really grateful for your help.

The only suggestion I can give you is to try to build a healthy environment in your company. As many changes are not welcomed without senior management contribution, motivation is the factor that can help you and your employees. Show the benefits of your ideas in monetary terms because that is the standard mindset of the management there. All the best.

HR Responsibilities: Making a Noticeable Impact

HR jobs can be performed at two or three levels: Routine, Proactive, Innovative, and Inspired! Each requires your dedication and commitment anyway!

Whatever level one operates at, one must remember that unless one "makes a difference," the people and the bosses may not notice. For that, you have to first check your job profile, if given by the company when you joined or later. Whether you have a defined job profile or not, you have to IDENTIFY the Key Result Areas in your job and prioritize your performance.

Also, find out the irritants in interactions and if these are in a way responsible for employees not giving their best. Are there issues of treatment meted out to employees by their superiors? Are there misbehavior issues? Are emoluments and statutory compliance (or the lack of these) becoming reasons for low performance?

In any case, reach out to employees, resolve all genuine grievances as they should be in quick time. Involve employees in organizational matters (at least such as concern them on a day-to-day level). Look at absenteeism, attrition, efficiency levels, and initiate corrective actions.

Steps to Inspire Employees and Improve Performance

Your Boss asking you to do something noticeable, to me, only means:
- Attend to pending and ignored matters from both sides - the management as well as the employees.
- Do things that will INSPIRE employees to demonstrate "positivism" in their approach and put in value additive performance.
- Bring about qualitative improvement in interpersonal relationships and achieve better "work orientation" in the organization - whether by discipline management or bringing the employees around, attitudinally to a better way of relating with the organization.
- Identify Training Needs and do something by way of offering training inputs!

But do not implement without keeping your superiors informed and without obtaining their approvals.

Think about all that I have said, and if you need to ask more questions, do not hesitate! Remember, without challenges and without overcoming obstacles, there is no fun in life - at work or at home or even outside of it!

Cheer up!

Regards,
Samvedan
November 15, 2010

Hi A.G. Hegde, just ask your boss what exactly she is expecting from you. What type of change is she looking for? Only then can you do something. Discuss with her the different strategies and your ideas. Observe the negative aspects of the company and try to reduce them so you can bring about some change that will lead to positive results.

Another thing I would like to know is what you will be doing in the company as an HR. Can you provide me with your job description if you don't mind?

Thanks and Regards

Preempt Your Boss

You need to preempt your boss. HR in the construction industry is quite tricky. On your own, please study the possible HR issues you are dealing with and prioritize them. Perhaps your boss wants you to be a change agent. You have to be an out-of-the-box thinker. Try to see the whole situation empathetically to understand why she wants you to come up with something new.

All the best,
Prof. Jayaseelan

Thank you very much; this was of great help. I will try my best to do what you have asked me to do. If you don't mind, may I have your personal email ID so I can contact you directly for anything?

Regards,
Tabassum