How Do You Handle Employees Ignoring HR Notifications? Seeking Advice for BDM Issue

Hi everyone, I am here with a situation where employees are not responding to HR notifications, instead ignoring them even after repeated notifications with different due dates. I wonder, what should I do in this situation? This issue is only happening with the BDM in our office; everyone else is cooperating and providing the required details, documents, or responses.

Handling Non-Responsive Employees

Now, I am confused about what to do with this kind of behavior. Please provide your views on how I can handle this situation to prevent such gross negligence.

I look forward to your valuable insights.

Don't panic. Is there any Head of HR in your company? Are you new to this organization? All apples are not the same, neither in their size, shape, nor taste. I mean to point out the importance of managing human resources.

Either these Business Development Managers are not happy with the company culture, atmosphere, or policies, or they do not value the importance of the HR Department in the company. Many assume that HR is the most non-productive and least cost-effective department compared to theirs.

At times, this may not be the case, and probably their work is such that they tend to have less time to focus on administrative tasks. You can verbally ask their Head of Department to follow up. Alternatively, you can suggest to the Business Development Managers the importance and need for such notices and to take a little time from their busy schedules.

Steps to Improve HR Notification Response

When you send a notice, what procedure do you follow; is it through sending it once over email? Instead, you can start following a few more steps:

1. First notice a month ago with a deadline.
2. Second reminder after 15 days.
3. Third reminder after 5 days, copying their Head of Department and your reporting authority, i.e., Head of HR or Director (only to those who have not initiated the process).
4. Five days before the deadline - an email mentioning the names of those departments/employees who have initiated the process in a timely manner and submitted the documents. This will prompt others to do so within the deadline and avoid the need to send a new notice with a new due date.

You'll only need to do this twice or thrice, and you'll see the difference - just one notice and you are done. Start giving importance to your work, and others will follow.

Regards,
Hiral

It's a very good procedure to notify with different due times instead of one notice. I am very glad that your message is concise and provides the required scenario. However, in my current situation, I have already issued several notices with different due dates to my employees, yet I have not received the proper response. Could you please suggest any other ways in addition to the above procedure?

Thank you very much for the support.

Understanding the Role of HR: A Soft Approach

HR should always be soft. Your job is only to get things done. How you do it or what you do will not bother anybody. You are a supporting team and hence, you always have to be soft. You are working in HR to support your employees and not to bully them. Just understand that you are only a link to management and employees, and you are not there to control anybody under you.

So, in this case, you can try and implement what Mr. Hiral Mehta suggests. You can also explain to them the impacts of not responding to the notifications, and again it must be in a polite manner. Just imagine if you are rude with the marketing team of the company, the next day the team will be in the MD's cabin complaining about you and commenting that their job is to do marketing and not to fill forms or follow notifications. This will reflect poorly on your job, not theirs. Try talking to them softly and get things done the way you wanted it to be done.

Regards,
Bharghavi

Hi Hiral, as per my posting, I have already given my employees several notices with different due dates, wherein I still have not received the proper response. Could you please suggest any other way along with the above procedure?

Avoid Multiple Notices with Different Due Dates

Never give several different notices with various due dates at one point in time. This will irritate employees rather than encourage them to follow the procedure. They'll start feeling that you are confused. What's done cannot be undone. Always prioritize your work in terms of importance. First, send a notice with a due date. Once you are through with that, then send the next notice with a due date. Even now, when you've already sent the notices, you will have to prioritize and take follow-ups for those whom you want to close first, and so on.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Hiral

Steps to Address HR Communication Challenges

1. Review the relationship HR has with other teams. Check if there were similar instances in the past.

2. Review the essence of the "thing" being announced. Check the basis, reference, objective, etc.

3. If the announcement has something to do with complying with a certain policy, emphasize the company policy, e.g., "in compliance with Article X, Paragraph Y of the existing company policy." It's important to establish the legal ground of the announcement. Don't forget to include or indicate the penal provision.

4. Work with team leaders. Team leaders and managers have inherent HR functions, such as disciplining, counseling, and policy implementation.

5. Implement accordingly.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Onilrem

There is no need for only HR to be soft. An HR person is assigned certain jobs, and whatever is done should be in line with the HR policies adopted by the company. If someone is not complying with the requirements as per company rules even after repeated notices, you must send a final notice under a copy to their HOD/MD, asking the employee to submit the required documents, clearly mentioning the clause of your service rules that provides provision for disciplinary action for not complying with the requirements. If he/she still fails to respond, place a note before the MD explaining the sequences and recommending disciplinary actions.

After seeking approval, you can start with the actions. No individual is above the organization. Thereafter, everyone will fall in line.

It would be better if you could let us know what kind of notifications you are sending. Is it regarding the completion of any process or documentation, etc.? Based on the type and criticality, the follow-up emails should be different. There are also some people who create a rule in their mailbox and direct all HR-related emails to their trash box. With respect to BDMs who may not spend more time in the office, you need to follow a different mode of approach to get the work done.

What Ms. Hiral suggested is a perfect way of following up with the employees. But we also need to know why they are not responding and what stops them from doing so.

Regards,
Kumaran G

As it's just with the BDM, have a word with him. Tell him it's important that you receive these documents. Many times, having a face-to-face chat would work wonders. Ideally, you wouldn't want any unnecessary escalation.