HR's Dilemma: Who Supports and Motivates the HR Team When They Face Grievances?

Question on HR Motivation and Grievance Handling

I have a question for all. HR people motivate and handle grievances of the employees. I want to know who in the company would motivate and handle their grievances.

I would be grateful to have my seniors' comments.

With Regards,
Birinderjit

Dear Balaji,

Thank you for your kind response. I am working as an HR and Marketing officer and have recently joined the company. This company is very small. My colleagues have been with the company for 5-6 years, and they are in different roles than mine. They seem to be jealous that I have been appointed at a higher level than them.

One of my colleagues speaks in a very disrespectful manner. Due to this rude behavior, I had an altercation with her yesterday. Currently, our interactions are limited to official purposes.

I seek your guidance on the following:
1. How should I handle this colleague?
2. How can I mitigate this jealousy issue?

Regards,
Birinderjit

Hi,

Seniors always degrade juniors; it's a common occurrence. You should follow these steps using a trial and error method:

- Wish them good morning and say goodbye when leaving the office; there's nothing wrong with that, whether it's a junior or senior.
- Keep smiling at them and show your smiling face.
- Ask for suggestions and advice, even if you are a senior, to mingle with them.
- Never fight with your colleagues; stay calm and polite, even if they are wrong.
- Treat yourself with a low profile; it is a corporate approach.
- Find out why they are jealous; if it is related to pay, there may not be much you can do.
- Sit with them during lunchtime, not necessarily every time, but occasionally.
- Never show your anger towards them.

First, follow these steps. If they work, continue doing the same. If not, let me know, and we can try another solution.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Dear Birinderjit,

Motivation is required for those who do not have their own. In fact, we are the motivating factor and we motivate the entire organization. Your question is like this: electrical bulb gives light when connected to power; if the power is absent, the bulb will not light up. But what provides energy to the power? The generator will supply the power. In an organization, the generator is the management, and for some, it is only the almighty, where HR may not receive adequate support from management.

So, dear, never expect someone from outside to come and motivate us to achieve our organizational goals. You must be a self-driven motivator. Remember this: "NO ONE CAN DEMOTIVATE ME UNLESS I WANT TO BE."

All the best.

Dear All,

As a newly joined individual in a typical manufacturing organization, one must have enough self-motivation to work. From my short time as an Assistant Manager HR, it is my responsibility to address all the small grievances in the office at both the senior and subordinate levels. However, there is no one to address my grievances. It is not feasible to discuss minor issues with the Director every time. Therefore, one must possess a high level of self-motivation to work in an HR department.

Thank you & Regards,
Alin Ganguly

Hi all,

I appreciate Birinderjit for raising this discussion, and I do agree on all your points on self-motivation, passionate HR professionals, etc. However, let's consider our perspective as well. We are also human beings, and we too need work motivation and grievance resolution. I am not sure how many HR professionals are truly satisfied in their work and are receiving motivation from management.

When an employee raises any issue, HR should respond. But as an HR person, where should they turn?

Seniors, your views are highly appreciated :)

Hello friends,

This is a very interesting discussion and suggestion, but for an HR person, it is an uneasy expectation, and no one can motivate others if we do not have the capability to be self-motivated. In my opinion, you must be optimistic to succeed, but if not, you must be able to cope up and stay self-motivated.

During my service period, I have felt that if your department or boss is not supportive, no one will support you.

Thank you.

Dear All,

Mr. Balaji has given wonderful tips to overcome jealousy from a colleague. I just add one more point: be honest while implementing all the tips given by him, and it works!

Ms. Shilpa

HR persons are self-motivated. However, as you say, he is also a human being and he also will have his own grievances. If it comes to any official issues, whatever the policies that work for others apply to him also, and he has to obey the same first and work within those boundaries only! The law is made by him, and the first person to respect that is himself! With this understanding, his 50% grievances are solved!

If any new grievances are there that are not within the scope of the existing policies and if it is different, he/she can always approach the ultimate superior - the MD, CEO, ED, or Chairman. Beyond that, it is only God who can help him/her.

However, an HR person is the one who is self-motivated and should ever have hopes that there are INFINITE opportunities for him to overcome his own grievances!

Regards,

K. Ramachandra

Bangalore

Hi, as I understand, HR also has their managers, and managers know how to get things done. Seniors motivate the juniors. Actually, in many organizations, HR is not actively taking care of motivation. They are just busy with their traditional work.

Dear All,

I can totally understand what Birinderjit is going through. Having been in HR for almost 5+ years now, there are days when I also feel let down and wonder whom I can share my grievances with. That being said, I have learned that we need to motivate ourselves and keep up the momentum.

Birinderjit, I can only suggest that you keep your chin up and work your way through the days when you feel low. Never let yourself be brought down by anything or anyone. Trust me, they are not important.

Regards,
Sabina

Excellent addition to the earlier reply. I assert that once the policy is framed, it is HR who should foremost follow it—lead by example. To do that, self-discipline and control are a must. Comments appreciated.

Regards,
K. Rama Krishna

Very good post and good comments. I like to add from my side. For HR, motivation is the SELF; as others think, we interact with management and get lots of favors, and the assumption is not true. I did face lots of demotivating factors in my career as an HR and ER Trainer.

In times of pain and demotivation, three things were always there with me:

1. "This too shall pass away" - powerful words that changed everything in my life.
2. "The Present" - a book by Spencer Johnson - which asks the reader to relive the happy moments.
3. Meditation, prayers, and music therapy.

It's only from my side to push myself, like even an EAGLE NEEDS A PUSH.

Hello friends,
Very interesting discussion and suggestions also.....
i would like to add from my side..... for HR - motivation is the SELF, as others think we interact with management and get lots of favours but the assumption is not true.
I am also facing demotivating factors in this job but to overcome it I do few things -
1. This period will pass (always be positive) - powerful words that changed everything in my life
2. Inspirational real books – books are really can be true friends, these real characters really help us
3. meditation and prayers / music therapy

Dear Birinderjit,

Most of us are talking about 'self-motivation' - while I agree with this on a macro level, I would like to put forth a couple of thoughts from my side.

For HR persons to get motivated, it is very important that the HR Leader is an inspirational leader! The HR Head will determine the overall motivation of the HR Team members in an organization. In a situation where the HR function is not recognized or the HR head has difficulty aligning HR with business, the morale within the HR Team could be adversely affected.

Regards,

Innovation

Hello friends,

Already, many CiteHRians have said much about motivation (though this topic is capable of receiving hundreds of replies). I would like to say something about the situation of Mr. Birinderjit.

It is quite common in the corporate world that people are jealous of you. People do not only tend to be jealous of seniors but colleagues are also not exceptions to this. Though Mr. Balaji has suggested ways to tackle it, I personally feel that some of these ideas are quite theoretical. For example, if one asks their jealous senior for a suggestion, since he is jealous, why would he offer good advice? Wouldn't he want you to get scolded by the manager?

Well, Mr. Balaji, don't assume I'm arguing with your comment. I think one should not be defensive but attacking. Once a person starts possessing bad feelings, it is very difficult to change their mind. It takes a great deal of time, and in the meantime, you may be harmed, even severely. So, while trying to change their attitude, don't let them control you inside and out. Show signs that you do not like their behavior. Never, ever let them get onto any personal issue of yours. If they are just passing comments on you while spending time with them, i.e., you are their TT (time pass target), say a few harsh words or even fight back.

Having said that, as they are seniors, first do some risk evaluation. Find out what the person next to you is capable of doing. Here, do not just think of surviving. I have a friend to whom I gave the same advice. However, her risk evaluation was limited to not getting an excessive workload, not losing the impression on managers, not losing the job, etc. Here, one should consider more broad views. What about your progress? Does the person have the guts (generally comes with the position) to ruin your future plans? The first priority should be your career target. After that, deal with the person who is just troublesome and has nothing to harm you, in front of everyone. This will also be effective on people who can harm you.

I would also advise you to find new friends. Not all people have the same mentality. Spend some time with them to become more confident. If things are more serious than what you think, escalate to the manager. At least let them know that things are not as smooth as they think.

And finally, when you become a senior, never treat your colleagues or juniors the way these people are treating you. It is now our responsibility, as juniors, to spread a good environmental culture, something that your seniors have failed to do.

Though a bit lengthy, I hope this is helpful. And Mr. Balaji, no hard feelings for you. These are just my personal views.

Regards,

Sagar G.

HR professionals should be like dynamos that you find in cycles! They should be self-motivated. Any individual can be motivated, provided that he or she develops an interest and passion in whatever he or she does. Very few people end up in jobs or professions that they do not like. So, for those who take an interest in what they do, that interest should naturally evolve into a passion over time. Once the passion turns into a commitment, external forces or incentives are no longer needed to motivate them to perform, even in the most challenging situations!

An organization comprises human beings with different styles, attitudes, and feelings. When you take on the role of HR, you should develop the skill to smile at everyone and effectively manage internal customer relations.

Best of luck

HR is a thankless job. We should not expect anyone's appreciation. The day without obstructions in the office or the place where we are working, that's our greatest motivation of the day. So, in my view, 'The time decides our motivation factor'.

Regards,
PBS KUMAR

Dear Birinderjit,

HR professionals are motivated by their own strategic thoughts, which they learn while solving others' grievances. They learn problem-solving abilities through training. There is no doubt that HR professionals are self-motivated. It is their way of thinking about how to find solutions to problems that may arise.

If your colleague's activities and perception of you seem to stem from jealousy regarding your pay package, there is not much you can do except communicate properly and respectfully with them. Balaji Venkatesan's suggestions are most effective in this regard. Showing respectful behavior and a positive approach is the only way to minimize conflicts with others. Stay calm and composed at work, and maintain a positive mindset. If someone is trying to create divisions, simply avoid them and focus on your work with a positive attitude. Your dedication and willpower towards your duties and responsibilities are key factors in advancing your career. Therefore, do not dwell too much on this issue and continue excelling in your work. I believe the day will come soon when this problem will be resolved.

Thanks and Best Regards,

Dear Brinderjit

In reply to your first question on motivation, I concur with the majority of our professionals that self-motivation is the ‘need of the hour'.

With regard to your second question on your perception of manifestation of jealousy by your seniors/colleagues/subordinates- you must understand that you are young in service & new to the company. It is natural for everyone to attempt to size you up & test you out. Since you have yourself indicated that you have jumped the queue, it is bound to cause a little discomfort for others around. With this as a backdrop, I would suggest:

• Make it your endeavour to show that you are deserving of the status given to you by the company by:

o Cultivating & manifesting a Positive Attitude.

o Setting your work goals, carefully.

o Performing your task, diligently.

o Maintaining an exemplary conduct.

o Ensuring compliance of company rules.

o Merging with the company culture quickly.

o Remember, no one can spoil your day, unless you choose to allow them to spoil it for you.

o Greeting all enthusiastically, no matter what.

It may appear difficult to do all this. But then, to achieve something we have to work accordingly. I assure you, if you are able to do this, you shall have arrived!!!-

Col Sunder Lalvani