HR departments are often maligned as glorified paper pushers, but a good human resource manager is an invaluable resource, advising you on your people, management techniques, hiring and developing programs that will help you succeed.
What–you say your HR manager isn’t doing that? Then it may be the time to show him, or her, the door.
Here are 9 red flags that your HR manager is doing a terrible job. Ignore them at your own risk.
First up: He Never Says, “We Need to Ask the Lawyers.”
our company's HR is just like this HR who described in the post. unfortunately our BIG BOSS doesn't understand that he need to send HR lady HOME!!! i wish our boss would get to know about her real face.
Our company is great. We have a special corporate counsel who consults with our department on these matters. It's too bad every company can't implement something like this.
Item 9, dead on. Our HR department is well known for not tackling the specific issue but rather issuing or reiterating a policy. It leaves all the folks who aren't violating the policy feeling as if HR is nothing but a big, bad authority figure, particularly since this is 80% of the interaction they have with the department.
The thing is, whenever this happens, you hear nearly EVERYONE asking why they don't just talk to the person causing the problem, because that person will never see themselves in the blanket policy. So why does everyone see this BUT HR?
I agree with all these, and I pride myself in taking a pretty good approach to all nine. But at least once a week I will hear one of the following remarks corresponding to EHRL's 9 signs:
1. I thought we had HR so we didn't have to contact an attorney every time the Dept. of Labor calls…
2. I had a great employee in the mid-80s who was a real diamond in the rough. Why can't you find me another one of those?
3. Why do you care how I do my job? Are you after me?
4. You're supposed to support me, not oppose everything I say.
5. I don't even know why we have policies. You made an exception again.
6. If I need you help with my area, I'll ask for it.
7. Fire anyone today?
8. Nice graphs, but isn't HR supposed to be about people?
9. How am I supposed to know what to do if you don't give me a written policy?
This post made me laugh, and is a classic case for most HR managers everywhere. lol
The worst is sending unqualified candidates for interviews. Nothing wastes more time than that!
I don't think HR ought to have a role in hiring, anyway, besides background checks and that kind of stuff.
But the #1 reason that your HR manager is terrible and ought to be fired? If he is a prominent member of the Westboro Baptist Church who spends his off time protesting funerals and other tragic events and throwing around hateful slurs.
Wow, fits my company’s person pretty closely.
I’m curious if anyone knows what it means, legally speaking, if an HR rep in a 50+ person workplace lies to the Workplace Health and Safety Officer, who dropped by to look into an asbestos complaint. Our workplace did NOT have a worker safety rep (as required by law in Canada), and the HR person lied, found a gullible (or intimidated worker), appointed them rep (they are supposed to be chosen by election by employees) and presented them to the officer. A year later, the HR person still refuses to have an election. The “rep” (who isn’t interested in the job) has not been sent for any training. How serious is this? We’re just an office workplace, so nobody’s life is in immediate danger, but this still seems to be pretty acceptable and sort of illegal.
HI I am currently being blocked by a hr lady who works for major company that has majority of the field of work that I do. Any suggestions. Any thing will help.
Just a question. About severity and use and abuse of bad management using the “disciplinary matrix” to get ride of employees they view as “problems” etc. In my workplace. their was a guy who had a vendor who asked for his name he gave a fictitious name. The HR rep and the bad manager conspired to make it look worst then it was. Long story short he was suspended and I believe this violates the progressive disciplinary matrix in the handbook. Nor does it state that he had to ID himself even if the vendor who was not an employee been asking in a threatening manner. Is the punishment equal to the crime?
10) He or she is still breathing