Hi Colleagues,
I am dealing with a question of HR coverage for the HR department, and basically the topic of HR confidentiality among peers. I heard about several cases where companies exclude the members of the HR team from the core responsibility in order to restrict access to sensitive information among the HR colleagues. What is some of your experience with this topic? Do some of you have a specific setup, like "HR for HR," where only a specific role/employee is designated to manage information/files of an HR team member, and managing cases where another HR professional is concerned? Grateful to hear your inputs, as well as to read some materials on the topic! Thank you and take care!
From France, Paris
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I am dealing with a question of HR coverage for the HR department, and basically the topic of HR confidentiality among peers. I heard about several cases where companies exclude the members of the HR team from the core responsibility in order to restrict access to sensitive information among the HR colleagues. What is some of your experience with this topic? Do some of you have a specific setup, like "HR for HR," where only a specific role/employee is designated to manage information/files of an HR team member, and managing cases where another HR professional is concerned? Grateful to hear your inputs, as well as to read some materials on the topic! Thank you and take care!
From France, Paris
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Confidentiality in HR Practices
I find your concern quite interesting! To begin with, let me ask what practices we are currently following within the HR Department regarding maintaining confidentiality, and what practices should be in place in reality.
Without exaggerating, my point here is about the kind of confidentiality required or supposed to be maintained by employees in the HR Department. According to me, the evaluation of 'Performance Appraisal' of an individual is one of the areas where secrecy and confidentiality are expected or maintained in the HR Department.
Secrecy in Performance Appraisal
The point is whether the writing of PAR calls for any secrecy or confidentiality to be maintained. We need to think over it! Here, we need to understand that we evaluate the performance under PAR for the job/work assigned to an individual for a particular period and his output/achievement against the assigned job/work.
The question that arises here is whether evaluating the work performance of an individual against the set target requires any secrecy. I don't think so! We just need to call the employee concerned and explain that they were assigned these jobs during the period to perform, and they have achieved this particular level of performance. According to the company's assessment, they deserve this much of a rating. That's it, quite simple! Where is the need to have confidentiality?
Confidentiality in Transfers and Postings
Similarly, there is another issue where utmost secrecy is maintained in the HR Department, i.e., transfer/posting of employees. The point is why any type of secrecy or confidentiality is required to deal with transfer/posting matters. If there is complete transparency in all HR matters, including the transfer/posting of employees, then where does the question arise to have any confidentiality/secrecy to maintain?
Promotion and Confidentiality
Another area treated as of confidential nature is 'Promotion' of employees. If the promotion is 'Interview'-based, then the Interview Committee will make a call on it based on merit and other selection criteria. If the promotion is paper-based, in that event, the DPC (Departmental Promotion Committee) will consider the promotion case where the PAR rating will be the crucial factor, besides other laid-down formalities/eligibility criteria, etc.
So, there does not seem to be any requirement for maintaining confidentiality in the HR Department unless the company's interest is getting clashed/jeopardized! However, where malafide intention or vested interest is involved, there the role of confidentiality comes into the picture!
Regards, JSM
From India, New Delhi
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22I find your concern quite interesting! To begin with, let me ask what practices we are currently following within the HR Department regarding maintaining confidentiality, and what practices should be in place in reality.
Without exaggerating, my point here is about the kind of confidentiality required or supposed to be maintained by employees in the HR Department. According to me, the evaluation of 'Performance Appraisal' of an individual is one of the areas where secrecy and confidentiality are expected or maintained in the HR Department.
Secrecy in Performance Appraisal
The point is whether the writing of PAR calls for any secrecy or confidentiality to be maintained. We need to think over it! Here, we need to understand that we evaluate the performance under PAR for the job/work assigned to an individual for a particular period and his output/achievement against the assigned job/work.
The question that arises here is whether evaluating the work performance of an individual against the set target requires any secrecy. I don't think so! We just need to call the employee concerned and explain that they were assigned these jobs during the period to perform, and they have achieved this particular level of performance. According to the company's assessment, they deserve this much of a rating. That's it, quite simple! Where is the need to have confidentiality?
Confidentiality in Transfers and Postings
Similarly, there is another issue where utmost secrecy is maintained in the HR Department, i.e., transfer/posting of employees. The point is why any type of secrecy or confidentiality is required to deal with transfer/posting matters. If there is complete transparency in all HR matters, including the transfer/posting of employees, then where does the question arise to have any confidentiality/secrecy to maintain?
Promotion and Confidentiality
Another area treated as of confidential nature is 'Promotion' of employees. If the promotion is 'Interview'-based, then the Interview Committee will make a call on it based on merit and other selection criteria. If the promotion is paper-based, in that event, the DPC (Departmental Promotion Committee) will consider the promotion case where the PAR rating will be the crucial factor, besides other laid-down formalities/eligibility criteria, etc.
So, there does not seem to be any requirement for maintaining confidentiality in the HR Department unless the company's interest is getting clashed/jeopardized! However, where malafide intention or vested interest is involved, there the role of confidentiality comes into the picture!
Regards, JSM
From India, New Delhi
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Innovative HR Practices-.doc