Hi Seniors, I am working in a startup software company and recently joined in April as an HR. I am the only person handling HR activities for a team of 0-25 employees. I am doing my very best for the organization. I have one year of experience in recruitment, but I lack practical experience in core HR activities. When I received this offer, I was happy as I would have the opportunity to learn new things about core HR activities. However, the situation is different now, and I don't feel independent in my work. I often feel unhappy.
I promptly complete any tasks assigned by my Managing Director, but he still expects additional value-added progress. I am willing to do more, but it requires coordination with a third party who is not responding effectively. My MD cannot reprimand this person as they are senior. He acknowledges my efforts for the organization but continues to criticize my performance, threatening to replace me. I have asked for feedback on my shortcomings and expressed my dedication, yet I am overwhelmed by negative thoughts, unhappiness, and job dissatisfaction. I am even considering looking for a new job. I am unsure if this behavior is typical of top management or if the issue lies with me.
Please advise on how to handle this situation.
From India, Tiruppur
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3I promptly complete any tasks assigned by my Managing Director, but he still expects additional value-added progress. I am willing to do more, but it requires coordination with a third party who is not responding effectively. My MD cannot reprimand this person as they are senior. He acknowledges my efforts for the organization but continues to criticize my performance, threatening to replace me. I have asked for feedback on my shortcomings and expressed my dedication, yet I am overwhelmed by negative thoughts, unhappiness, and job dissatisfaction. I am even considering looking for a new job. I am unsure if this behavior is typical of top management or if the issue lies with me.
Please advise on how to handle this situation.
From India, Tiruppur
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Also, with the help of the CiteHR site, I am learning new things. I have been involved in creating various documents for this company such as the Attendance Report, Leave Report, HR Manual, Punctuality Policy, Wear ID Card Policy, and Birthday Policy. Although I have initiated these efforts, the Managing Director (MD) has not shown appreciation for them and only criticizes me, which is disheartening.
From India, Tiruppur
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From India, Tiruppur
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Hi Anuradha,
Don't think about the negative. The HR should motivate themselves. Whatever work you have done, appreciate and motivate yourself. If you have any manpower problems, give more importance to closing all the gaps and concentrate on training and development, and employee engagement.
From India, Bangalore
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Don't think about the negative. The HR should motivate themselves. Whatever work you have done, appreciate and motivate yourself. If you have any manpower problems, give more importance to closing all the gaps and concentrate on training and development, and employee engagement.
From India, Bangalore
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Guidance for HR Professionals Facing Challenges
Our actions ought to speak louder than our words. Stepping out of the situation you described is both easy and doable.
Know your tasks—duties, responsibilities, and role altogether—build your capabilities as soon as possible and start taking initiatives to utilize the intelligence and energy of your entire workforce towards creating wealth and well-being for the stakeholders in your establishment.
Constantly refer to the stated/adopted policies, values, vision, and mission of your organization. Start writing procedures and processes in simple, easy-to-understand, and implementable language. Ally professionally with the Functions Head to understand the issues they face and where they seek solutions. Then, work out the solution jointly with them, the supervising personnel, and top management. You will find that your success as an HR functionary is not far away.
In case of hiccups, consult management to engage a subject matter expert specializing in the HR domain to put everything in place from where you can glide through.
Kritarth Team is always ready and willing to help and guide.
Regards, Kritarth Team
Bengaluru Service Centre
Home | Kritarth Consulting Private Limited / [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
30.8.16, 2.30 p.m
From India, Delhi
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Our actions ought to speak louder than our words. Stepping out of the situation you described is both easy and doable.
Know your tasks—duties, responsibilities, and role altogether—build your capabilities as soon as possible and start taking initiatives to utilize the intelligence and energy of your entire workforce towards creating wealth and well-being for the stakeholders in your establishment.
Constantly refer to the stated/adopted policies, values, vision, and mission of your organization. Start writing procedures and processes in simple, easy-to-understand, and implementable language. Ally professionally with the Functions Head to understand the issues they face and where they seek solutions. Then, work out the solution jointly with them, the supervising personnel, and top management. You will find that your success as an HR functionary is not far away.
In case of hiccups, consult management to engage a subject matter expert specializing in the HR domain to put everything in place from where you can glide through.
Kritarth Team is always ready and willing to help and guide.
Regards, Kritarth Team
Bengaluru Service Centre
Home | Kritarth Consulting Private Limited / [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
30.8.16, 2.30 p.m
From India, Delhi
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Objective Analysis of the Hiring Process
To be very objective, it looks like both sides made mistakes in the hiring process itself. While your enthusiasm to gain Core HR knowledge and experience by joining this company is very valid and understandable, where you seem to have misjudged is in thinking you can gain experience through trial and error in an environment that is looking for immediate results. This could have been the right step if there was already someone handling HR.
Where your company made the mistake is in hiring someone with only recruitment experience when their need was for a Core HR person. In the process, you ended up being in a square-peg-in-a-round-hole scenario.
Handling the Current Situation
To handle the current situation, I suggest having everything in writing—your requests for inputs from the third party and the subsequent follow-up emails. That would leave a trail of clear responses (or the lack of them) and the corresponding day/time tagging.
While I am not sure if your MD will agree to provide in writing whatever he expects from you, if you can manage it, that would do wonders to lay out clearly what's expected of you and what you delivered. If you can't do it, I suggest putting down in writing all the points of discussion after your meetings and sending/mailing it back to him for final clearance. That will give you a clear roadmap of what's expected, enabling you to plan work clearly and also provide some fallback if your MD tries to change his words later. Such a practice can also give your MD time to think if what he asked you to do is actually what he wants to be done. Sometimes, when things are seen in writing, people may change their minds; the earlier the changes, the better for everyone.
However, if none of this works out, just get serious about looking for a new job. If this effort doesn't work, it can only mean one thing: that the MD is looking to experiment at your expense. If you read the news, you find this attitude among many startups, including well-known ones.
All the best.
Regards,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
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To be very objective, it looks like both sides made mistakes in the hiring process itself. While your enthusiasm to gain Core HR knowledge and experience by joining this company is very valid and understandable, where you seem to have misjudged is in thinking you can gain experience through trial and error in an environment that is looking for immediate results. This could have been the right step if there was already someone handling HR.
Where your company made the mistake is in hiring someone with only recruitment experience when their need was for a Core HR person. In the process, you ended up being in a square-peg-in-a-round-hole scenario.
Handling the Current Situation
To handle the current situation, I suggest having everything in writing—your requests for inputs from the third party and the subsequent follow-up emails. That would leave a trail of clear responses (or the lack of them) and the corresponding day/time tagging.
While I am not sure if your MD will agree to provide in writing whatever he expects from you, if you can manage it, that would do wonders to lay out clearly what's expected of you and what you delivered. If you can't do it, I suggest putting down in writing all the points of discussion after your meetings and sending/mailing it back to him for final clearance. That will give you a clear roadmap of what's expected, enabling you to plan work clearly and also provide some fallback if your MD tries to change his words later. Such a practice can also give your MD time to think if what he asked you to do is actually what he wants to be done. Sometimes, when things are seen in writing, people may change their minds; the earlier the changes, the better for everyone.
However, if none of this works out, just get serious about looking for a new job. If this effort doesn't work, it can only mean one thing: that the MD is looking to experiment at your expense. If you read the news, you find this attitude among many startups, including well-known ones.
All the best.
Regards,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
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Yes, I endorse TS's view!
"However, if none of this works out, just get serious about looking for a new job. If this effort doesn't work, it can only mean one thing: that the MD is looking to experiment at your expense [if you read the news, you find this attitude among many startups, including well-known ones]."
As they say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Small or start-up companies treat their employees in this way only. There is no other cure for this. It is better for you to immediately start looking for other opportunities.
Warm regards.
From India, Delhi
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"However, if none of this works out, just get serious about looking for a new job. If this effort doesn't work, it can only mean one thing: that the MD is looking to experiment at your expense [if you read the news, you find this attitude among many startups, including well-known ones]."
As they say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Small or start-up companies treat their employees in this way only. There is no other cure for this. It is better for you to immediately start looking for other opportunities.
Warm regards.
From India, Delhi
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