For help to overcome from my frustration - for 1 month I'm doing nothing in the company

Hello all, I'm new to this forum. I am an employee of XYZ company as an HR. Also, I am a fresher, currently studying in the last semester of my MBA. However, in my company, I am the only HR, and for the past month, I have been doing very little. I mean to say, I just come in, sit, and then leave; that's it. I have been attempting to communicate with my boss, but it has not been successful. Now, I am feeling frustrated by all these circumstances. Please help me overcome this.

Hi Swapna,

I understand it is very frustrating to waste time doing nothing. If you are the first HR person, then your boss would be the director or some head. Please clarify - who is your boss? Since you are the first HR, I believe you should not wait for any order or request from your boss. You can ask or inform him/her that you want to create an HR Manual for the company, which will include all the HR policies for the company. Then, try to bring one HR process in line at a time. I also assume that your responsibilities may not be clear. So, create your own profile, responsibilities, and job description for the company. You must start from scratch.

For more queries, please reply or email me at msanjukta@hotmail.com.

Regards,
Sanjukta

Thank you so much, madam, for the best suggestions. However, madam, I am a fresher in this field, and my boss is the Managing Director. He can't give me any authority for work. I have to work with his permission, not on my own. In this company, no one knows the meaning of HR and the responsibilities of HR. I don't understand what to do.

Thanks,
Swapna

Hi Swapna,

As an HR professional, the first step is to gather all employee details, whether they are maintained or not. If they are not maintained, start gathering them. Next, issue ID cards for all employees. Then, focus on Time Management by ensuring punctuality. If there are shifts, inform employees to notify you about their schedules. Address leave management by first informing your Manager and then proceed with the necessary actions.

Thank you.

Look at the HR activities being done so far in your company. See what is to be done to streamline work. Go step by step, keeping your boss in confidence. Go with suggested solutions to problem areas. Once your boss understands that you have the knowledge and willingness to work hard, he will start delegating authority to you. One has to be patient. (After all, you are the first HR person.) Your boss has to see how good you are at work and what are your people skills and knowledge about core HR activities. Move with simple workable ideas and changes in small doses.

Dear Swapna,

Please provide more details about the size of the company, the nature of its work, and your background. Additionally, kindly inform us of the mode in which you are pursuing your MBA.

Let me share that what you are experiencing is not uncommon. When my friend started at a multinational company as a Measurement Engineer, he had no assigned tasks for the first two weeks. Instead, he was requested to review company documents and familiarize himself with the organization and its culture. Another friend was promoted to Assistant Industrial Engineering Manager but was instructed not to engage in her previous duties as an engineer, such as Method study and Time study of operatives' work. Consequently, she found herself with little to do, which was quite frustrating. She was seated in an open office where 13 Bonus Clerks worked continuously under the supervision of their manager. Eventually, she discovered that even her boss, the Regional Manager, had a limited workload. In short, she decided to pursue a part-time Master's degree and ultimately resigned from her position after several years.

In light of this, I recommend that you familiarize yourself thoroughly with the organization and then propose potential improvements to the HR function. If you feel like a newcomer and lack sufficient knowledge, I question why you accepted the job in the first place. Did you conduct any research about the company before joining?

Kind regards,

[Your Name]