Feeling Like a Management Puppet? How HR Managers Can Balance Employee Perceptions in Small Companies

Hello, I am working as a Manager-HR in a small-sized organization. Any decision taken by the boss, I represent it in front of all the employees. As a result, employees think I am a management sycophant. I feel very bad about this perception. I am very straightforward with both the boss and the employees. What should I do in this situation? How can I make them confident that I am also a salaried employee like them, who thinks of them first?

Many times, I argue with my boss due to the same reason. He is also very kind-hearted and thinks of everyone. Please help me in this situation. Is this a common issue for all HR professionals working in small-sized companies or is it just my case?

See Pooja, this is the story with most HR heads and teams in small-sized companies. This usually happens because the head (CEO/COO/MD) also faces challenges to run the show on a day-in, day-out basis. In such companies, if the chief operating officer is not the owner, it becomes more challenging for him and difficult for employees as the policies keep changing on a weekly basis. The scenario becomes problematic when the owner's wife is in the management team leading the structural and financial policies. Here, sometimes the CEO also faces such challenges; he can't share down the line nor at public portals. But it can be actual learning sometimes in the real HR sense rather than sitting as a white elephant in some big company's overcrowded regional/corporate HR Team.

Unfortunately, this is usually the scenario or challenge HRs face in any organization. There are a few posts that have discussed these issues from different viewpoints and situations; refer to them. One such nice discussion is "Does HR need to be disliked by the employees?" You can find it on the site.

There is always a way out.

Best Wishes

Pooja, you have to inform employees that I am also a salaried person of this company like you. As I am superior to you, I also have a superior role; the final decision is not in my hands. I am just an intermediary between you and the decision-making authority. Even though I always try my best for the benefit of both parties, you will receive very good support if your approach to interacting with workers is 'TOTALLY TRANSFERABLE.'

In the present scenario, workers are well aware of the management and decision-making authority, whether you inform them or not. This is the ultimate solution to your situation.

Even I am also in the same position. It's quite common in most smaller-level organizations. But we have no other option except to wait for the right opportunity.

Regards

I have been facing the same situation as you, and I am handling it in the same manner as Hussain and Hardik have suggested. As a mediator between the employer and employee, you are bound to receive suggestions and complaints from both sides. In a small company, rules may change weekly, monthly, or quarterly. It is up to us to manage the situation effectively at times.

Regards,
Dakshesh

I am also one of the HR professionals facing the same situation. You have to act diplomatically and focus on a win-win situation. I can tell you that these kinds of situations will help you grow and become a perfect HR professional, but you need to have patience for the same. So chill! 

Balancing Roles as an HR Manager

Hey Pooja, after going through this, I was thinking about my own experience because I faced the same situation in the past. 

It's not bad to be straightforward with people, but you need to establish a sense of balance between your boss and other employees. I understand what you're going through. You're not doing anything wrong; you're just doing your job and following your boss's orders. There's nothing wrong with that, but others might not perceive it correctly and think you're a management sycophant.

You need to talk to them, perhaps starting with a close friend or colleague. The more time you spend with them and give them a chance to understand you, the situation will change. There are many things we don't need to worry about when communicating with colleagues, but there are certain things we must keep in mind if we're playing this role between the boss and others. We are just a medium for our boss to communicate with them, like a secretarial role or assistant, and we are simply doing our work. We have to maintain balance and let others know that we are like them, just following orders.

Sometimes, it's very difficult to tackle, but creating a friendly or sociable system with others can make us feel good and help us solve these problems. So, don't be reserved and spend time with them as a friend.

Regards

Don't worry. Give it time. Give colleagues time, and they will know who you really are. These things are quite common, and after some time when you reflect back, you will also consider it similarly. Just do your work. Gossip is also a result of jealousy.

Regards

First of all, being a manager, you are not expected to do just a postman's job between your boss and your employees.

For your boss, you are a manager, and he would like you to manage the affairs well by implementing his policies. On the other hand, for your employees, you are a leader, and they won't like you to merely act as a dancing doll for your boss. So, you have two roles to play at the same time. You have to apply your mind also in different situations. As a manager, you are to manage the affairs of the organization well, and as a leader, you have to lead your team well in harmony with the organization's policies and senior's directions.

If your boss says something to implement, you first have to weigh the pros and cons of the same in your mind, then prepare the environment to search the minds of your employees, without disclosing the direction of your boss, as if you want to know their opinion on how to enhance their productivity if some change is introduced (keeping in line with the spirit of your boss's message). Discuss the pros and cons of the needed change with the employees and get their views, and you will see 50% of the battle is over. Develop your strategy to avoid the remaining resistance. Start a trial through the employees who have readily accepted your proposal. Over time, the rest would also start doing as per the proposed change.

That way, neither you would have to go to your boss again with the employees' reaction, nor your employees would feel any grievance against you. They would rather feel honored when you discuss any new plan with them.

However, if some expected negative impact comes to light during your discussions with your employees, you must bring that to the notice of your boss to rethink his instructions on that aspect and seek moderations on that issue.

Regards,
PS Dhingra
Chief Executive Officer
Dhingra Group of Management & Vigilance Consultants
New Delhi
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Dear Pooja, tell the employees of your organization that you are also an employee here. Any decision taken by management, I have to put in front of you. I have no role to play in decision-making strategy. Maybe this will help you.

Regards,
S. Bali
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Hi Pooja, to be very frank with you, in our company, the same thing is going on! I am working in an IT company, which is a small-sized organization. Even here, everyone feels like HR is not required for the organization. I feel very sad about that, but ultimately, I am happy in my work and learning a lot of things. However, I always try to be happy with all the employees, but they mistake me for everything. I don't know what to do?

Regards,
Sona_mona

As others have said, I never said you are just doing your job. Your job is not merely being a messenger; your job involves the implementation of policies/directions for the benefit of the organization. It's important to understand that employees are also expecting you to act as their representative. You should try to help in resolving some of the issues they are facing and, in agreement with your management, introduce some pro-employee policies.

For example, consider implementing flexible working hours (especially since your company is an IT company). This approach will help employees better understand your role, rather than viewing you as simply a mouthpiece for your boss.

Regards,
Kesavaprakash R

We are all HR professionals facing the same problem. I very much agree with Mr. Dakshesh that we are working like a bridge between the employer and employee. Our duty is to pass messages between the employer and employee. Our work involves viewing and listening to everybody, scrutinizing the matter, and sending it to our employer for a decision. While scrutinizing, some matters will be in and some matters will be out; nothing to do because we are all professionals. Things to Be Done by Brain, Not by Heart

Regards,
Joyita Chatterjee
HR In-charge