Why Do HR Departments Often Struggle with Reputation in Organizations?

Hi all,

Why do people in the organization hate HR professionals? Why does the HR department not hold a good reputation in the organization?

Regards,
Saurabh

Saurabh,

This is a very generic statement. How many organizations and people have you spoken to? Is it hearsay or research you have done that points towards the statement you are making? Is it the HR department or the person in the role?

In general, HR is the one to always convey the bad news, be it termination, layoff, pay cut, etc. That's the prime reason for the "dislike" employees may have. There's a saying, no matter how many good things you may do, you are somehow remembered for the one "unfriendly"/"unpopular" decision you had to take or make.

Hi Saurabh,

Totally agreeing with what Rajnish has said! Saurabh, it's people who make the company, and HR plays a strong role there. So if you have heard of people not liking the HR, I'm sure it's not about the job but about the PEOPLE working in that department!

What do you say, Rajnish? ;)

Jensen.

I am witness to situations as well when people try to demean the work you do. HR has changed and has evolved in the last 10 years; the value which was earlier "buried" now has come to the fore. Organisations are in cognizance of the tangible benefits HR brings in. However, we as an HR community still face a task of educating the people we serve on the "importance" and "contributions." Most of it was also because HR was always sidetracked from strategic initiatives, but with a paradigm shift in management, and "talent" is becoming key, HR has a lot to offer.

Coming to the point, yes Jensen, HR's image is in the hands of all of us. We as practitioners need to perform this role in a manner that earns us respect and adulation.

Research shows that HR professionals do not have business acumen, and most of their actions are not aligned with corporate strategy. This has been emphasized in the latest book by Ulrich & Brockbank, "HR Value Proposition."

Hi all,

Why do people in the organization hate HR professionals? Why does the HR department not hold a good reputation in the organization?

Regards,
Saurabh

Self-aggrandizement and belittling others is basic human nature to differentiate oneself from others. Is there any exception to it?

Regards

I agree with what Rajnish stated. People try to demean what you are doing. But allow me to restate what I had stated earlier on another topic:

Unless and until there is genuine commitment from the top management, no credible HR can survive. Many of the organizations have 'puppet' HR who are considered to be the closest to the CEO or COO or whoever. Perception is reality, my dear friends!

Saurabh,

Your question to us has changed from "why people Hate HR" to a quote from Dave's book on HR's lack of business acumen. Both are separate topics.

As regards to business acumen, yes, I agree. HR has traditionally been an administrative function. As you sit on strategic initiatives, you will not only need to have a thorough understanding of the business you are in, but you should also have optimum knowledge of other functional areas to make you a more effective HR professional.

Thank you.

Hi all,

Just wanted to share my opinion on this topic. If we look at any strategies of HR, may it be motivational strategies, recruitment, or compensation, they are all like a sword, with sharp edges. The question is, WHO is holding this sword, and what are his intentions, to enslave or to protect? It can go both ways. That's why HR practitioners, in my opinion, will always be "hated". And that is why I'm an HR practitioner myself. I try to be in a position where unbiased information is available for the decision-maker.

I do remember in one HR interview, the HR manager asked me this question, "Why do you want to be in HR? If I had the choice, I would never have stepped in. It is a thankless job, so why do you want to be in HR?"

Thankless as it may be, I personally sleep better knowing I did my best to help a situation improve.

Regards,
Noel

Hi Psyched, I totally agree with you because this is the model followed at our organization to such an extent that when one of the employees went to the HR informing him of not being assigned any clear job responsibility, the HR's response was "You are getting your salary every month, no?"

Some Human Resource Development :roll: :roll: :roll:

Personally, this is the reason I hate our HR dept. I wouldn't call it a universal phenomenon but .........

Hi Saurabh,

First of all, we would like to thank you for sharing this great article. Well, reality bites, right?
I have read the article, which is downloaded here as the attachment, and have given my feedback in bold and underlined. I would request all to read this.

Cheers,
Rajat