How Can HR Build Trust and Show Employees They're Valued, Not Just Serving the Employer?

Why Does the Employee Always Feel That HR Works Only for the Employer?

What are the strategies I can use in my organization so that employees do not feel the same?

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In order to address the perception that HR solely serves the employer, it is crucial to implement transparent communication channels within the organization. This can be achieved by fostering an open-door policy where employees feel comfortable sharing their concerns and feedback with HR. Additionally, conducting regular employee engagement surveys can help identify any underlying issues and gauge employee sentiment towards HR practices.

Strategies to Improve Employee Perception of HR

Furthermore, organizing training sessions and workshops on the role of HR in supporting both employees and the organization can help bridge the gap in understanding. By emphasizing the dual role of HR in advocating for both employees and the company, employees are more likely to perceive HR as a neutral entity working in the best interest of all stakeholders.

Overall, building trust and fostering positive relationships between HR and employees is essential in changing the perception that HR only serves the employer. By implementing these strategies, organizations can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued and respected.

To begin with, you must appreciate the fact that basic human traits are the same. In the case of employees, the overwhelming majority would ideally love to have less work, more pay, more holidays, and longer weekends. Against this backdrop, the general view is that HR influences these and that HR has the tendency to conspire with management to deny employees their perceived ideal work conditions.

In reality, while HR is an influencer in HR policy-making, it is management that has the final say. It is HR that conveys both the pleasant and unpleasant decisions taken by management. Unfortunately for HR, they become the favorite whipping boy for employees when unpleasant decisions are conveyed, while credit is given to management for the favorable and pleasant decisions. This is one of the job hazards pertaining to HR. A corollary could be seen where the salary department is often seen as the villain for Income Tax deductions, whereas they are merely doing their statutory obligation. It is, therefore, pointless to take umbrage at this quixotic behavior or perception of employees.

Proactive Steps for HR

However, HR can take some proactive steps to ensure that they are seen in a more positive light and as employee-friendly people by the employees. To begin with, ensure that systems are geared up to ensure quick and effective interaction and communication with employees. This must begin right from the time one takes interviews (see that candidates are properly guided, and delays are minimized, be it at the time of the interview or even for their reimbursements where applicable). Make induction programs more innovative, interesting, and welcoming so that new employees notice the professionalism as well as empathy of HR.

The Importance of Listening

Listening is a key skill that HR must learn and imbibe. Most feelings are assuaged by patient and empathetic hearing given to employees in distress. It would also help if systems are developed/set in place for FAQs of employees. Develop SOPs for crisis management pertaining to employees, e.g., an accident to an employee or the loss of a credit card of an employee traveling abroad. Listening can also help you get some innovative solutions from employees, which you can implement. Also, give credit to those employees whose suggestions have a material bearing when utilized by HR. HR must also be seen as being fair to employees while addressing their grievances. It's this concept of fairness that, if interpreted poorly by employees, does more damage to the perception of HR.

I am sure some of my suggestions will trigger more ideas relevant to your current workplace, and that you will be able to introduce and implement them and thereby positively influence your employees in having the right perception of their HR.

Best wishes

Mr. Jacob has done an excellent job in addressing your concern. The best part is that he has viewed it impartially and presented the facts from both ends. HR's role as the middleman becomes an enviable one, as seen by an employee. The management places its faith in HR to be an effective interface between them and the employees. HR should understand that the employees are their customers. In this competitive world, "customer is the king" has become a very strong slogan, and rightly so. The solution lies in identifying the internal customer needs and the efforts taken to fulfill the reasonable ones. Those that cannot be fulfilled have to be carefully explained.

Regards,
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai

A big thank you to Saurabh, Tajsateesh, Bhardwaj Ramesh, Pk Jain, V. Raghunathan, and Srilakshmi for their feedback and appreciation. Mr. Raghunathan has made a pertinent point that employees must be seen as customers by HR, and immediately the approach of HR would be geared up to fulfill customer expectations.

Regards

When you introduce transparency in managing human resources and avoid favoritism of any type, you will earn the respect of everyone. This implies that you should have HR systems and processes in place that are viewable by all employees at all times. For example, why shouldn't an employee be able to see their own data in the employee database? In fact, if you empower them to modify the data (as and when a change occurs), you are ensuring employee involvement in your HR process of database maintenance. Your workflows, however, can always keep you in the chain of approval for all important transactions before the actual update of data takes place. You are making each employee a partner in the HR space of your organization.

Remember, any employee will feel happy to see their own name, personal details, photograph, particulars of dependents, salary details, pay slip, Job Description, and also their KRAs/Goals for the year. These are the basis on which one performs and grows in their career. These are the aspects that inject transparency. HR technology is becoming a big enabler for all types of online transactions. For example, why shouldn't an employee be able to see their attendance records, leave details, etc., and also be able to apply for leave online and obtain approval from the Manager/Supervisor? If an employee has done something innovative, why shouldn't they be able to share it instantly with others? Why can't HR facilitate such sharing of knowledge?

We, the HR people, mostly tend to isolate ourselves (by living in our own pigeonholes) and sometimes believe in exhibiting our power through denial of the legitimate, want people to approach us for every bit of information, are afraid of automating our processes, and prefer that all information about HR should go to the management through us. We spend hardly any time understanding the company's business, the financial ratios on the Balance Sheet, the company's growth objectives, the type of competencies/skills needed to achieve these objectives (an aspect of talent management), and are thus not focused strategically. We seldom update ourselves in the HR field, though we give sermons on the value of self-learning/internet-based education and so on. How, under these circumstances, do we expect others to look at us?

There are, however, many among us who are different from others. This breed of people could be termed as 'HR thinkers' - they prefer to be at par with those in operations and with others managing the business of the organization. They are designing 'Balance Score Cards,' not only for HR staff but for other functions too. They are helping functional heads and managers in creating Goal Sheets for the key people and enabling a linkage of these goals to those of their subordinates. They are developing performance indicators for each goal. They are looking for systems that help in tracking performance with respect to these goals. In brief, they are truly contributing to the company's business.