How Can HR Rebuild Trust After a Former Employee's Negative Campaign?

Hi,

There is a practical problem I am facing these days. I will expect your suggestions so that I can act accordingly to fix the problem.

The HR department fired one of the employees who was working as a testing engineer. She has been fired due to her misconduct and misbehaviors. After she left the organization, she called all other employees and told them that the HR personnel there are bad people to work with. She even tried to misguide other female employees against the HR people and told them to leave the company, otherwise, they may be harassed. Her anti-campaign made others think of the company differently. It seems to me that they are looking at HR as untrustworthy, and their behavior seems to be different than before.

Problem:

The HR department hired some new employees, and they joined us. I am afraid that if the current employee tells the new employees the story, and they believe that they got the information from the old employee (a story without facts and total lies), then what might be the new employees' perception. Will this affect them, and as soon as they join, will they also feel that HR cannot be trusted?

What steps should be taken to stop this? How can HR convey the message to the new joiners that the story is a plain lie?

Please advise me. HR executives are really stressed about this problem.

Regards,

Dev

Hello,

It is clear from your reporting that the role of HR in the organization is either not clear or is misconceived. I say this because in no company does HR have the decision-making authority to hire or fire employees. Therefore, in your case, did HR decide to terminate the employment of the said employee? If yes, did it have the authority to do so? Or was it a decision taken at the "right" level, and HR merely implemented (conveyed) the same?

If the person whose services were, in fact, terminated invited her ex-colleagues to spout venom against HR or the company after being terminated, two things are now crystal clear. One is that she deserved to be sacked, if for nothing else, for her negative, stupid, and immature behavior. The second is that if her ex-colleagues listened to her and got influenced, then they are also equally immature and/or negative and/or stupid to be influenced by such trash!

Answering your specific query, if my assumptions regarding HR's authority are correct, then HR should issue a circular to educate the remaining employees and the new joiners about the cause(s) and the situation why the concerned employee found herself out of the job. The circular should contain an assurance for others that the company values all those who add value and work in cohesive teams for the company's growth. Such a thing is rarely done in organizations, but your situation needs an exception to be made.

You are free to raise more queries on the subject to me, and I will try to answer your difficulties.

Cheers & Regards,

Samvedan

September 7, 2007

Hi, I agree with Samvedan's crisp advice. Take out a circular assuring, rather reassuring the new trainees of the company's motives in a generalized manner, hinting at such misbehaviors. In circulars, it will be better not to mention a person's name in particular. Also, make it clear that the company will not tolerate any nonsense detrimental to the company's image.

Regards.... Srini

Hi,

I would like to add a few words. It all depends on individual perception. Anyway, your worry is about the new employees joining the company, which can be sorted during the induction. However, you can also inform the terminated employee that if she continues this behavior, she will be blacklisted in the company records, and she can expect no good relieving letter from you.

Rumors are everywhere, whether the company is small or big. Keep your employees engaged with some good time every now and then. If one individual can cause such grave damage, then there is a serious problem.

Sending a circular highlighting the incident can be a good idea, but there is a higher chance that it may worsen the situation. The terminated employee may be seeking attention through her actions. Do not let her be successful in that. To support your actions, you have the order copy, PMS reports, and the enquiry proceedings.

Only provide an explanation if asked, and keep it concise to the necessary details.

This should not be a long-lasting problem, and not all problems related to behavior and psyche have immediate solutions.

Yo!

Deepak. M 8)

Hi,

I believe you should personally meet with the employees and try to build trust. Let the HR head meet with the employees and share with them the true scenario, as it poses a threat to HR.

Regards,
Harpreet

Hi,

In addition to the circular, my suggestion is that you increase your networking with different parts of the organization. This will help build your credibility within the organization, and then you will be able to counteract situations like this by giving people the real picture - VERBALLY. The verbal message should be consistent with the circular and should be able to add a few more details or background to the message in the circular.

All the best.

Regards,
Ryan

I would like to say something here. Firing an employee is not as easy as it has been mentioned in the details. There has to be a documented procedure. If it is a small organization with no systems, the HR department is not the one who 'decides' the firing of an employee. It is top management persons controlling the activities. And if the systems are there and the HR department is authorized to carry out 'disciplinary actions,' then it will not be baseless.

In either case, it will be ridiculous (sorry if my language is offensive) for HR to send out a circular explaining things that happened with an employee. If something is to be communicated, it should be general conduct guidelines and a training program on organizational behavior. Definitely not the details of a particular case.

- Hiten

Dear All,

Thank you all for your valuable suggestions. I have a query regarding the content of a circular and its potential impact on other employees. What should the circular contain, and do you believe it could have negative effects on other employees? Moreover, if I disclose details to new joiners during their induction, could this lead to them forming a negative impression of the organization? How should I address an employee who has been terminated? If I disclose that information to others, do you think it might create a fear among the new joiners that they could also face termination in the future?

At my company, the authority to terminate employees does not lie with the HR department. However, HR is responsible for carrying out terminations upon receiving orders from a Vice President or Director. The HR manager, who directly interacts with employees, is always consulted before any termination.

I seek advice from experienced HR professionals on how to prevent new employees from being influenced by the negative actions of a recently terminated employee. This individual took advantage of being female and influenced other employees against the HR and management team by making derogatory remarks, including questioning the trustworthiness of a senior HR manager using vulgar language.

How can I reassure other female employees that they can trust the HR manager, considering they have been influenced by the terminated employee? This is a pressing issue that requires a solution.

Thank you,

Dev

Hello,

I understand your concern regarding the "circular" and the effect it may have on the new joiners! I said in my first response itself that such an action is generally NOT resorted to by organizations, but your case needs an exception to be made.

I am providing below in inverted commas a draft circular. If you like, you can make suitable changes and use the same as a general notice. But if the notice is put on the notice boards, there are chances that even outsiders may get to read the same and draw some unwarranted inferences.

It is for this reason I prefer a "circular." The same purpose can be served by departmental meetings where the organization's stand can be highlighted, but even that may lead to discussions, and not all those who will lead these meetings may be adept in handling queries, if any. And if there are queries, you simply should NOT avoid answering. Therefore, once again, I fall back on the idea of a circular. Here goes the draft!...

"For the information of all concerned,

It has come to the notice of the management that certain ex-employees are, on incorrect and biased foundations, criticizing the management policies. The aim of this circular is to dispel any misconceptions that may have been generated because of such vile and motivated emotional outbursts.

The company underscores the fact that interpersonal relationships at work, especially are based on mutuality and reciprocity within the bounds of the organizational culture. The company believes in performance and positive orientations. Employees at all levels are always encouraged to seek answers to their questions from their superiors.

The company does NOT approve of maligning, vindictive, and false propaganda to vitiate the company atmosphere and relationships.

It is asserted that the company underscores teamwork, value addition, and a proactive work culture and has no place for lack of transparency, double speak, and irresponsible conduct. The competent members of the company find the atmosphere supportive and rewarding. The company selects candidates for various skills and responsibilities with great care, invests substantially by providing excellent work platforms to grow personally and professionally.

Finally, please remember that your focus and purpose in associating with this company is all that should matter. The company advises everyone to continue to enjoy your work and relationships."

You may modify this draft to suit your situation and issue without fear of a throwback!!

Regards,

Samvedan

September 10, 2007

Dear Mr. Samvedan,

I am thankful to you for your suggestions, and I had decided to use the circular. But, sir, can you please suggest something more on the problem? Kindly see my last posting as I have so many questions for which I am looking for solutions. Sir, please look into my last posting and help me further.

Warm regards,
Dev

Hello.

Please consider my comments (in blue).

You said: Then here in my company, the firing authority is not the HR but HR should fire anyone after getting the order from someone who is working in the capacity of a Vice President or Director. However, they always seek the advice of the HR manager who has direct interaction with the employees.

Response: Yes, it is true and correct that the decision to hire & fire must be taken by a designated and empowered authority in the organization. While the HR may handle all the processing (such as necessary word processing, issuance of the letters, etc.) purely from the point of view of legally safeguarding the organization's interests.

You said: What I am looking for from you great HR gurus is, please suggest to me something best so that I can keep the new joiners away from those old indisciplines created earlier by another employee who was fired 10 days ago. She took advantage of being a female (sorry if anyone finds this wording wrong) and biased other old talents against the HR and management team. She used some words against one of the senior HR managers, saying that he can't be trusted and used many vulgar words.

Response: Sorry, you cannot insulate other employees, new joiners, or seniors from such vile influences. Let's not even attempt that. After all, we are dealing with grown-ups and not small children. People will mingle, and we cannot police them all the time. If you stop this in the office, they can always meet outside anyway. To avoid such things in the future, you must devise ways to clarify HR's role in a suitable manner. In any case, HR is not a front-stage actor; they will always be a backstage worker. Thus, their presence may not be seen, though it will be felt through their actions. HR, as I have always professed, is a conscience-keeper of the organization and additionally a facilitator of interpersonal transactions within the organization. They are a balancer, coordinator, and a team builder. Their job is to advise all those who seek their advice, including the seniors. And yes, HR should never perceive itself to be a "power center." An employee is an employee; gender does not matter. Often, girls behave with far greater maturity than boys, and boys are also many times seen behaving in an unnecessarily arrogant and mindless manner.

You said: How can I assure other female employees that they should keep faith in him (HR Manager) as they are already biased by her? This is the main question for which I am desperately looking for an answer.

Response: Please, faith is something you have to earn by your credible, objective yet compassionate and efficient manner. Those around you will infer that you mean what you say and say what you mean.

Having attempted to cover all your points in your previous posting, permit me to emphasize that the role of HR requires a much more elaborate discussion. Kindly do not treat the above points as a comprehensive or conclusive statement on the subject.

Regards,

Samvedan

September 11, 2007

Good SAM. But I suggest lying low and not giving too much importance to this. Employees normally view a circular as an official document conveying management views. Any such circular from HR would be seen as a knee-jerk reaction and create further doubt in their minds.

As a general statement, orally, you may indicate to the new joiners during induction that if they have any issues or need clarification, they can talk to HR or any higher official instead of discussing among themselves. Just ignore that lady; after some time, everybody will mind their own business.

MSV

Hi Vengateshan,

You really spoke my mind. Even I am of the opinion that a circular will further worsen the situation. There is no point in worrying about a person who no longer exists in the organization. A circular may get everyone under one roof to discuss the issue, which should not be given so much importance. After all, every one of us knows what our job is, and we do it as per the policy laid down by the company.

The more you react, the more chances the employees think that you are on the wrong side and defending yourselves. Grooming the new joiners is a matter of trainers' efficiency. Attitudes can be changed. I think the employees spend more time discussing things like this. Employee engagement and more interactions with the employees can solve the problem. Do some activities, something outstanding after which the employees should talk about it. Divert their attention from this stuff.

You also have to give importance to control, which is a very important principle of managing people.

Deepak.

Dear All,

Almost everybody faces such a problem in their professional life. In my opinion, instead of any circular or dedicated campaign against that ex-employee or her stories, we should work on strengthening the following for a long-term relationship:

- Transparency in actions
- Communication, communication, & communication in all forums (official/non-official) at every level.
- Creating an environment of trust
- Employee-friendly image

Regards,
Sameer

This has been a very healthy discussion on a very sensitive issue. My sincere appreciation for all who have shared their views.

Sam's views are the true essence of the HR profession.

At the same time, I agree with Vengatesan about the circular.

Consider a situation wherein in clean and still water of a pond, someone throws a stone; suddenly everything becomes blurred.

But you can't do anything to make it clean and still again. It gets clean and still on its own, quickly too. But if you try to put your hand in it, the result will be more disturbance.

When trust and reliability are questioned, you can't prove it with a circular. It has to be won back by consistency. It takes its own time, but it can be won back only with patience.

When people get on with their jobs, they will automatically forget the issue and realize that the HR person is trustworthy and reliable (if he actually is). This will happen on its own. Let people judge the situation. Don't make them wear glasses of the circular to see the situation. Trust their naked eyes.

As HR professionals, many times our hearts boil over things which we really care about but can do nothing about. It is good that we care and monitor. But not reacting and carrying on with our jobs (consistency, transparency, cooperation) is the need of the hour.

Remember, the pond has the ability to settle its issues itself. Clarity and steadiness are its characteristics.

Regards,

Hiten

Top management and HR can address all the employees of the company and clarify the reasons that led to the decision to fire an employee. It is important to emphasize that employees can personally write to the top management if they encounter any incidents of harassment.

HR needs to make employees feel that they care for them. If this happens, no amount of such rumors will affect them.

Hi
I would like to draw attention Of Dev,Samvedan & Peer saab.
Come-on samvedan How can you say “In no Company HR dept. has authority to Hire & Fire.” It is a General Statement samvedan Saab. I astonish to see Mr. Peer Saab going with the flow of same comments.
One has to understand in Gross Misconduct's it is HR dept only which takes the decision and the comments from operations/production becomes futile or not entertained. Here the case is of Misconduct. In some Call centers ---Agents are straightaway conveyed for termination because of Misconduct. And this happens only by middle level HR's .No need to take permission from Senior Management.
Well Idea about circular is okay but generally such circumstances need to be tackled in not be reacting at 90 Degree.
Regards,
Tikam Singh -Pune
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Hello,

Just one point, please!

Legally speaking, no one can terminate any employee if they are of a lesser rank than the one who appointed the concerned employee. Signing a dismissal letter or a charge sheet does not imply the authority to terminate someone's employment.

In my personal and professional opinion, if an employee in a call center is dismissed by HR, one must examine the terms of employment of the employee and the authority formally vested in HR without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with the statement made.

In any case, what I said was "generally." It was not an absolute statement! HR doesn't let us go overboard with the so-called "authority." We are a service function, and that's it!

Regards,
Samvedan
September 12, 2007

Hi,

You just told your employee that 'people are hired for their skills but fired for their behavior.' Remember that.

Sumit
Executive HR

Hi,

It all depends on what kind of rapport HR has with employees. Personally, I faced the same situation. I was told to terminate one of the employees with immediate effect without a notice period. What I did was I clearly explained to that person that it was a management and HR decision. I also explained the reasons for termination and communicated formally with other employees to help them understand the grounds on which the decision was made.

When one employee is terminated, it affects the entire company, especially their colleagues. Others may feel insecure about their jobs. Through simple communication, you can help them understand and provide assurance regarding job security.

Thanks, Pallavi.

Dear,

It seems that you were in a haste in terminating the employee. Most of the HR professionals assume that termination is the only solution for all the problems and threats arising from an employee. Referring to your case, I opine that neither circulars nor termination would have done any good, but retaining an employee and molding them to the organization's requirements is the challenge an HR faces.

From aftermaths, you cannot rectify the past but can absolutely design or shape the future in line with your desires. Gossipers shall never change their attitude regardless of the place or the target person they gossip about. Thus, create a friendly atmosphere and maintain your credibility without being bothered by others' gestures.

An HR should be a psychologist and not a psychopath.

I am speaking from my personal experience:

1. A circular mass email or any similar form of communication that reaches all employees certainly helps make the employees understand the situation leading to the termination of services of an employee, especially since such a measure is generally considered too harsh a form of punishment.

2. Whether the HR Head has the power to fire an employee will largely depend on the authority vested in him/her by the top management and the level of the HR Head, and hence will vary from organization to organization. However, I feel it is better not to give other employees a feeling that 'HR' fired the employee.

3. A single fired employee cannot send out signals to all others that the organization has a hire and fire policy unless the actions of the HR department (actually that of the management) in the past have already resulted in the employees feeling insecure.

4. Having sent out the circular, it is best that the issue be left alone to die a natural death. It will, sooner or later. The induction process can certainly be used to build confidence in new joiners about the employee-friendliness of HR, but remember, actions speak louder than words.

Dear Dev,

A lot has been written that is not only educative but also eye-opening. I have some basic observations. Instead of sorting out each incident as a standalone one, some fundamental issues need to be in place.

Can we use this incident to have a very simple code of conduct in place, to be issued to all on rolls and to the new inductees? This code needs to follow the general expected behavior of an average individual in society.

If already in place, is it being implemented in letter and spirit?

The issue of circulars, etc., encourages slug fights wherein the energies get focused on non-essentials. Damage control, instilling confidence, with full backing of management is required.

I would suggest ignoring the entire incident, and as suggested by a number of friends, a positive flow of information to all employees, interaction, and correct projection of the HR Department will change the atmosphere.

By continuing to react, are we not playing into the hands of the said disgruntled and fired employee?

Best Wishes,

esskay

Though a circular could help in conveying this issue to the employee, it will not really give a good impression. As an HR professional, I feel certain issues could be solved in a very different way than approaching the problem as it is.

In this issue, if a circular is to be sent, the problem has to be told directly to all employees, which is not really required. A training session can be arranged with a topic that can indirectly convey the message to the employees that the issue was addressed for good. This will serve multiple purposes:

1. Employees will understand the problem.
2. HR can convey it themselves as they are familiar with this issue.

The training can be on any soft skill topic which can include this issue as a case study.

Hope I'm right! :)

Regards,
Gowri

After reading the reaction of the members to various suggestions, I read the whole series of comments once again and felt that the slight differences of opinion are because of the fact that none of the writers are aware of the size of the organization in question.

I would, therefore, like to clarify my suggestion, which was based on the presumption that the company is fairly large in size. Hence, the effective medium of communication with all the employees would be a circular/mass email. However, if the organization is small in size, where all of them can be addressed in person by the HR Head, she can probably achieve the same results, probably with greater success. She does not have to convene a meeting specifically for this purpose but could use any occasion when all or the majority of the employees gather together.

Hi,

In my experience, indirect messages don't always work. Human beings are notorious for not getting "it". Indirect messages are also subject to multiple interpretations by different people. That's why a clearly worded circular without any ambiguity will be more effective than a "A TRAINING session can be arranged with a topic which can indirectly convey the message to the employees that the issue was done for good."

By the way, including the topic as a case study would be a good idea for a college lecture or a session on employee communication for the new HR team members.

Regards,
Ryan

Hi, it was really intriguing!

To instil confidence in HR, I believe functional managers can play a prominent role. At the outset, the extent of interactions of functional people (engineers) with the HR team is limited to supportive actions. The functional manager to whom they report and interact with can shed light on the truth of the incident and restore confidence levels. If the manager's interpersonal skills and acceptance levels are high, he would be able to help the team understand the nuances of firing - the situation that led to it and the resultant actions.

Employee communications through a code of conduct is an objective to achieve and, as such, cannot play a role in convincing the rest of the crowd, as the malignancy is spread by an ex-employee who would have also been required to abide by the same policy statements and measures for termination processes.

This is my view.

RB

Dear Mr. Samvedan,

Sir, as per your suggestions, I had sent the circular to all the employees. The circular was in the same format you sent to me. One of the employees responded to the circular and has written the mail to HR. Here is the original mail of that employee. The employee is a senior one. Please see his mail below and let me know what he is thinking and what he wants to know. It seems he is the culprit and driving that indiscipline. But, he is keeping quiet in all situations.

Please see the mail he sent to HR after getting the circular.

His mail to HR was like this:

"Sir,

I am not able to understand the exact meaning of this mail. If you feel that there is some kind of misconduct or misbehavior going on, then please specify. Moreover, what kind of interference do you think we are having in the company activities? What I personally believe is that I am doing my work according to myself, and I am not disturbing any of the company's policies, discipline, or any other concerning activity. I think every person has their way of doing their work.

Actually, until and unless an employee will find comfortable in the working environment, he/she will not be able to perform or give his/her best performance. So, either you restrict the employee from doing his work according to himself/herself, or you can provide the employee with such a cozy environment in which he/she likes to work within itself.

That is what I think Employee Satisfaction."

What do you think? Is he with those ex-employees and the driver of the indiscipline?

Kindly suggest and guide me on how to handle this situation.

Warm regards,

Dev

New employees can be molded in different ways. It would be a failure of the HR department if the employees sway them and convince the new hires against it. The HR must maximize their interaction with the new employees and ensure that the old employees who are not spreading the message do not feel isolated.

Regards, Santosh Verma.

Hello,

This is excellent!

The author of the mail may or may not be the driver of the indiscipline. In any case, he does seem to have gone on the back foot and played a defensive stroke—for which there was no need!!!

The rest of what he has written are his views, and you must respect them as his individual views. The single response points to where the malice may be located. But this is NOT the time to go into all that.

You may reply to the mail simply saying that his views are noted and would be helpful in the future. Do not join issues. Do not question the person. Do not even talk about his mail to anyone.

Rather, work to reinforce the image of HR for its balance, transparency, objectivity blended with compassion when necessary, and above all, try to be a confidant to all. And all this you must convey and convince through your actions and decisions and NEVER through any circular or even a Training Programme.

Now do not generate or encourage any discussion on the episode and having received valuable insight, let the matter die a natural death. The future is the time to build credible HR culture in the organization. Devise plans and programs to achieve that objective.

Regards,

Samvedan

September 13, 2007

Conduct an ER activity to make employees feel good. Start some good initiatives, publish a sexual harassment policy, and establish a grievance addressal procedure. Conduct a town hall and have your VP speak.

Warm regards,
Vi

Hi,

I think you should not worry too much about the negative propaganda. The more you get into it, the dirtier you become. When it comes to existing and new employees, focus more on orientation and motivation by highlighting the positive aspects of the company without ever mentioning the negative incidents. I am confident that in due course, they will start to forget.

Thanks,
Anees

Hi,

Thank you for all your suggestions, which I am implementing. I hope things will fall into place soon. I am truly grateful to all of you who helped me with this issue. It was quite a challenge for me to uphold the reputation of the HR department.

Regards,
Dev