Seeking Advice on HR Practices in a Small Company
One of my friends has been working in a company as an HR for one year. The company's VP (Head of the company) has decided not to have any induction for new joiners. He is also not in favor of conducting exit interviews and other employee engagement activities ("It's all a waste of time as per his view"). My friend has asked me how to deal with this situation. The company has 80 employees.
Currently, he reports only to the VP due to management changes.
I would like to know your thoughts about it.
Regards,
PD
From India, Pune
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5One of my friends has been working in a company as an HR for one year. The company's VP (Head of the company) has decided not to have any induction for new joiners. He is also not in favor of conducting exit interviews and other employee engagement activities ("It's all a waste of time as per his view"). My friend has asked me how to deal with this situation. The company has 80 employees.
Currently, he reports only to the VP due to management changes.
I would like to know your thoughts about it.
Regards,
PD
From India, Pune
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Your concern for the organization and the reality on the ground are not significantly different from what many organizations face. Your friend's keen interest in both the induction program and exit interview is indeed the need of the hour. We cannot simply dismiss the importance of these processes by citing company policy as a hindrance. While the organization may not currently be experiencing a high attrition rate, it is essential to prepare for potential challenges in the future. It is unclear from your message whether the organization belongs to the service industry, manufacturing sector, or another field where your friend is employed.
I suggest advising your friend to thoroughly assess the situation and explore similar industries or organizations that have faced issues due to the lack of proper induction programs, leading to indiscipline and a lack of cooperation among employees. Encourage your friend to communicate effectively with the Vice President about the evolving circumstances and consider whether there might be a generational gap affecting the VP's understanding of the current requirements. If necessary, your friend could help educate the VP on the importance of these programs or seek the assistance of a consultant.
Given your friend's strong support for induction training, it would be beneficial to involve consultants in designing and implementing these programs within the organization. This collaborative effort can help navigate the current situation effectively.
Best of luck.
From India, Arcot
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I suggest advising your friend to thoroughly assess the situation and explore similar industries or organizations that have faced issues due to the lack of proper induction programs, leading to indiscipline and a lack of cooperation among employees. Encourage your friend to communicate effectively with the Vice President about the evolving circumstances and consider whether there might be a generational gap affecting the VP's understanding of the current requirements. If necessary, your friend could help educate the VP on the importance of these programs or seek the assistance of a consultant.
Given your friend's strong support for induction training, it would be beneficial to involve consultants in designing and implementing these programs within the organization. This collaborative effort can help navigate the current situation effectively.
Best of luck.
From India, Arcot
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Hi Prakash,
Please ask your friend to speak to the VP and try to make him understand the importance of induction and exit interviews. Though it is not that easy, he can give it a try. This explanation should be conveyed in a very positive manner in favor of the organization; only then, it may work out.
Good luck.
From India, Mumbai
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Please ask your friend to speak to the VP and try to make him understand the importance of induction and exit interviews. Though it is not that easy, he can give it a try. This explanation should be conveyed in a very positive manner in favor of the organization; only then, it may work out.
Good luck.
From India, Mumbai
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Thanks for your suggestion. Being an HR professional, I do understand the importance of induction and initial orientation towards organizational culture.
Do you guys think this kind of mentality is good from an employee perspective? What are the short-term and long-term effects of this kind of behavior? And lastly, a very important question: Does my friend "X" have any growth opportunities in this company?
Regards,
PD
From India, Pune
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Do you guys think this kind of mentality is good from an employee perspective? What are the short-term and long-term effects of this kind of behavior? And lastly, a very important question: Does my friend "X" have any growth opportunities in this company?
Regards,
PD
From India, Pune
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The taste of the pudding is always in the eating. Ask your friend to conduct some informal exit interviews, maybe 4-5, and then show the results to his VP. If the VP still doesn't understand the advantages of such practices, then I guess your friend is wasting his time here (his VP's opinion about these practices being a 'waste of time' would surely prove costly to him and the company later, but that's his problem).
However, your mention of exit interviews along with other steps indicates that the attrition rate here is high for a headcount of 80. If true, there is even more reason for conducting exit interviews as soon as possible.
Regarding other steps like inductions and other employee engagement activities, suggest asking him to wait until the exit interviews phase is done. These would require the involvement of the VP and/or others, meaning your friend wouldn't be able to handle them alone and informally. So until the VP sees some sense in what your friend is suggesting, they have to wait.
If the VP is convinced that there is indeed some logic in the practices/suggestions, then the other suggestions can be brought forth and implemented one by one.
Otherwise, as I mentioned, ask your friend to move out as soon as possible.
There's a quote often used in Organizational Psychology: "The work expands or contracts according to the time available for it." In a larger perspective, this can also be applied to such situations. If your friend continues to stay here despite such mindsets, there's every chance your friend might also become like his VP along the way and consequently, he just won't fit in anywhere else. Hope you get the point.
But one thing puzzles me. I see that you post quite a few threads/postings on behalf of your friends. When they too are in HR, what's stopping them from posting their problems/issues themselves? Do they need someone else to do it on their behalf? Sounds weird to me. Why don't you tell them to ask on their own in CiteHR?
Regards, TS
From India, Hyderabad
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However, your mention of exit interviews along with other steps indicates that the attrition rate here is high for a headcount of 80. If true, there is even more reason for conducting exit interviews as soon as possible.
Regarding other steps like inductions and other employee engagement activities, suggest asking him to wait until the exit interviews phase is done. These would require the involvement of the VP and/or others, meaning your friend wouldn't be able to handle them alone and informally. So until the VP sees some sense in what your friend is suggesting, they have to wait.
If the VP is convinced that there is indeed some logic in the practices/suggestions, then the other suggestions can be brought forth and implemented one by one.
Otherwise, as I mentioned, ask your friend to move out as soon as possible.
There's a quote often used in Organizational Psychology: "The work expands or contracts according to the time available for it." In a larger perspective, this can also be applied to such situations. If your friend continues to stay here despite such mindsets, there's every chance your friend might also become like his VP along the way and consequently, he just won't fit in anywhere else. Hope you get the point.
But one thing puzzles me. I see that you post quite a few threads/postings on behalf of your friends. When they too are in HR, what's stopping them from posting their problems/issues themselves? Do they need someone else to do it on their behalf? Sounds weird to me. Why don't you tell them to ask on their own in CiteHR?
Regards, TS
From India, Hyderabad
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The Role of HR Professionals as Advocates
HR professionals are typically responsible for final reporting, a task that often falls to a leader who is not from the HR department. Consequently, it is evident that this individual may not fully appreciate traditional HR concepts and tools.
An essential role of HR professionals in an organization is that of an "advocate." They must advocate for their profession, employees, and organizational development.
Your friend faces a challenge in demonstrating the correlation between conducting studies, translating the study findings into actionable plans, achieving results, and quantifying those outcomes. If successful, their VP is likely to recognize them as a star and grant them the freedom to implement more innovative concepts and practices.
Best of luck,
Regards
From India, Mumbai
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HR professionals are typically responsible for final reporting, a task that often falls to a leader who is not from the HR department. Consequently, it is evident that this individual may not fully appreciate traditional HR concepts and tools.
An essential role of HR professionals in an organization is that of an "advocate." They must advocate for their profession, employees, and organizational development.
Your friend faces a challenge in demonstrating the correlation between conducting studies, translating the study findings into actionable plans, achieving results, and quantifying those outcomes. If successful, their VP is likely to recognize them as a star and grant them the freedom to implement more innovative concepts and practices.
Best of luck,
Regards
From India, Mumbai
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Dear PD, The easiest solution for your HR friend is to find another company with a good corporate culture. The boss here is pretty conservative, and I'm sure that he will not allow exit interviews or induction programs in the near future. Every HR professional understands how important employee engagement programs are and what happens if a company doesn't conduct them. It can lead to high turnover, low productivity, and high costs of replacement. If your friend can't convince his VP with real evidence, just move on.
Best of luck!
From Vietnam, Hanoi
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Best of luck!
From Vietnam, Hanoi
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Exit Interview Suggestions
The purpose of an exit interview is to understand why an employee is leaving the company, identify positives, and recognize opportunities, threats, and areas for improvement. This can be strategically initiated. Your friend can start by suggesting to the VP the use of an exit interview document instead of a direct interview to save time. Initially, have an exit interview document with multiple-choice questions and spaces for suggestions. Ask the employee to fill it out and submit it. Gradually, this leads to interaction and, in turn, a formal procedure. If this does not work, consider implementing a suggestion box policy or whistleblower policy. Engage with the employee upon receiving their resignation. If this still does not work, have formal interactions with employees at regular intervals. Collect feedback and document it. Ultimately, HR will meet its purpose.
HR needs to work with diverse people. Working with a boss who has a different perspective is equally challenging. Take time to observe your boss's strategies, understand them, and try to implement your strategies accordingly, step by step.
Induction Process
Send an email announcing the new employee's joining, including a photo, job role, and years of experience. Take the opportunity during the facility tour or group meetings to explain the organogram to the new joiner. Inform your employees to introduce themselves to the new joiner and offer support if needed. Speak to the department manager about training.
As per the email, the company currently has 80 employees. It's not a big deal.
I hope this helps your friend.
Best regards,
From India, Secunderabad
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The purpose of an exit interview is to understand why an employee is leaving the company, identify positives, and recognize opportunities, threats, and areas for improvement. This can be strategically initiated. Your friend can start by suggesting to the VP the use of an exit interview document instead of a direct interview to save time. Initially, have an exit interview document with multiple-choice questions and spaces for suggestions. Ask the employee to fill it out and submit it. Gradually, this leads to interaction and, in turn, a formal procedure. If this does not work, consider implementing a suggestion box policy or whistleblower policy. Engage with the employee upon receiving their resignation. If this still does not work, have formal interactions with employees at regular intervals. Collect feedback and document it. Ultimately, HR will meet its purpose.
HR needs to work with diverse people. Working with a boss who has a different perspective is equally challenging. Take time to observe your boss's strategies, understand them, and try to implement your strategies accordingly, step by step.
Induction Process
Send an email announcing the new employee's joining, including a photo, job role, and years of experience. Take the opportunity during the facility tour or group meetings to explain the organogram to the new joiner. Inform your employees to introduce themselves to the new joiner and offer support if needed. Speak to the department manager about training.
As per the email, the company currently has 80 employees. It's not a big deal.
I hope this helps your friend.
Best regards,
From India, Secunderabad
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Employee Engagement Study.doc