How Should I Have Answered These Interview Questions on Union and Labour Issues?

Dear HR professionals, I attended an interview on 23/12/10 to assess my level of proficiency. During the interview, I was asked two questions to which I did not provide the expected answers.

Union Problems

One question was: "Have you ever faced any Union Problems?" My response was that we do not have a union at our premises as we are in the Construction Industry, which is a factual statement.

IR/Labour Problems

The second question was: "Explain any situations where you have faced IR/Labour Problems." I explained that I have my own team members present in various locations within our premises, including the labor camp. Whenever an issue arises, they promptly bring it to my attention, and I take necessary corrective actions as required. Consequently, I have never encountered any IR/Labour Problems on my site.

However, despite providing these factual responses, the interviewer was not satisfied. I am seeking advice on how I should have answered these questions. Your insights on these questions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
S. Bhaskar
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear S. Bhaskar,

The old set of HR managers believes that unions are a problem, though they might not be. Many times, they feel that a candidate without union experience will not be suitable for their company. The same is debatable.

The new breed of managers, however, can make unions work to their advantage and also manage any uncertainties.

So the first point depends on who interviewed you. I am sure that you can handle any union problems if you come across them, but it is difficult to convince others.

The second point is that a lot of HR managers, mainly experienced ones, have faced many industrial relations/labor problems in their careers. They cannot digest that a new upcoming manager is not facing any IR/labor issues and generally tend to believe that the candidate is lying. However, the fact is that many times companies run smoothly thanks to the HR manager or the general work environment.

I believe that you did your best and the right thing by being honest. We cannot please everyone, and you might get better opportunities in the future. All the best.

Take care.

Regards,
Viraj

At present, I am working in the construction industry. Earlier, I was in the Defence Forces. I want to have original exposure to the manufacturing industries. That is the first reason I appeared for the interview, and the second reason is to check my capability to tackle the interview panel. Currently, I am working as an Assistant Manager (Industrial Relations) in a reputed company. Here, I can complete my service to secure my second pension and ensure a secure future for both of my daughters.

A Short Story

Once in a forest, a tiger was chasing a deer. The deer managed to escape and ran away from the tiger. The tiger lost the chase and became tired. A press reporter then approached the tiger and asked, "Mr. Tiger, you lost the chase, and the deer defeated you, managing to escape. Would you like to comment on this?" The tiger replied, "I was running for my food, but the deer ran for its life, for survival. That's why the deer escaped from me."

Some companies were bargaining for a lower salary, which I did not accept. However, in this company, I felt that I have failed. Hence, I am posting this topic to receive a proper reply.

My View on Both Questions

In response to the first question, if companies pay properly and motivate their workers/employees effectively, then the question of a union does not arise. Regarding the second question, with well-motivated employees and workers, there should not be any industrial relations issues or labor problems.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my query.

Warm regards,

S. Bhaskar
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

The Importance of Trade Union Experience for HR Managers

For an HR Manager (in fact, a Personnel Manager or IR Manager), exposure to trade union settlements, negotiations, etc., is a plus point. Whatever trends have taken place in HR Management, the conventional practices of the so-called "Personnel" Management remain the same in any industry, especially where age-old employees are working. Therefore, we cannot condemn the interviewer's intention. It is simple that when a surgeon appears for an interview, he will be asked a question, and that will be "how many surgeries did you perform? How many were completed and how did you manage?" Similarly, it is obvious that in an interview for the post of HR Manager, you can definitely expect questions like "how many trade unions do you have? How many strikes have you faced? How many wage settlements did you make?"

And in my experience, even with a lot of changes in Human "Resource" Management, a Personnel Manager who has wide experience in the IR field is a perfect fit to manage employees rather than a manager with so many "soft skills" in his training kit.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Dear Madhu,

The surgery is required for those cases where the initial treatment was not given.

Even in cancer cases, if we diagnose the disease in the early stage itself, we can clear it with medicines. If we leave it untreated for a prolonged time, then surgery becomes necessary. Furthermore, if we do not opt for surgery, the diseased person will become a deceased person.

Similarly, if we handle wage settlement, increments, bonuses, etc., with empathy in the initial stages, we may not need to escalate the issues to the union level or management level.

Currently, the practice is to delay addressing issues, allowing them to escalate beyond our control. Resolving these issues with great difficulty is what defines an efficient Industrial Relations (IR) manager. Otherwise, one risks being perceived as calm, quiet, and lacking the assertiveness required for IR duties.

However, even those who perceive us as lacking in addressing issues may realize the challenges in our absence, wondering why similar issues did not arise during our tenure.

Thank you for your valuable response.

With warm regards,

S. Bhaskar

[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Sorry, I have no more comments to make, but I have given my opinion on the reason behind a question asked by the interviewer. The interviewer may be looking for a manager who has experience in union negotiations and settlements, given his particular case, which might be the outcome of bad HR practices that do not prioritize employee care. You can think of it as a necessary surgery without which the problem is not curable.

The Role of Policies in Employee Relations

There are many establishments with well-framed policies that emphasize employee relations, but these policies often do not translate effectively into practice, leading to the formation of trade unions. I believe that trade unions are beneficial for fostering healthy industrial relations, as my experience has shown.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K