How Can a Fresher Gain Cooperation from Experienced Employees in Decision-Making?

Hi all,

I am a fresher and working in the BPO industry. Whenever I suggest new orders or make suggestions to employees, some experienced staff members do not cooperate with my decisions. For instance, I need to promote an employee to a team leader position. According to company regulations, I have chosen an employee who is fit for the role. However, the experienced employees do not seem to accept my decision. How can I face this situation? Kindly guide me.

I am an HR professional. Yes, I provide suggestions, but they are not always accepted, even though the concerned person may be a lower-level employee.

Advisory Functions of HR

Certain functions of HR are advisory in nature.

Selection of a Team Leader

For example, the selection of a team leader involves HR collating suitable names as per QRs and presenting them to higher management for a decision, which HR then implements. HR, by itself, does not have the authority to nominate team leaders. The board of directors, GM, etc., can delegate certain powers to HR, and HR can then act in accordance with those delegated powers.

Importance of Reviewing Delegated Powers

Therefore, it is essential to review the powers given to your department/appointment and act accordingly. Additionally, HR must develop a close rapport and a comfort level with other departments to avoid creating a sense of unilateral actions.

A HR person should be tactful in their dealings with staff and develop a relationship of trust and openness with employees.

Experienced and senior employees have to be dealt with respect and courtesies.

The selection of team leaders is a vital decision, and a fresher will not be able to select as per their choice.

The psychological play involved in being an HR person and getting your decisions pushed through, and more importantly accepted by all willingly, needs to be understood.

Understanding the Real Problem

You have been appointed as an HR professional in a BPO. You are a fresher with no experience in HR or in the BPO industry. You are making suggestions that are being ignored or actively opposed. The employers in operations and execution do not believe you are capable of giving suggestions or making changes and probably think you are unfit for your work and just occupying space that can be put to better use.

Without knowing what suggestions you are giving or what changes you are trying to implement, I can't comment on whether they are right.

Key Questions to Consider

- Are you qualified to make suggestions? Do you know the business?
- Who has given you the authority to make or implement change?

If what you are doing is authorized by the management, then the obvious step is to go back to the management and report that the teams are not following your instructions. If, on the other hand, these are your own initiatives, then you need to convince the supervisors, managers, and the top management that these initiatives are good ones and that they should be implemented. HR rarely is involved in operations and therefore can't implement anything. The implementation has to be done by the concerned managers.