I have absolutely no idea what motivates me to write on this topic. Maybe it’s the fact that I have moved across and been astounded by the HR Professionals that I have interacted with.
At times, when I put myself into their shoes I think – its way too taxing to be the bridge between the Higher Management and your Employees. Depending on what you are asked to communicate, you might almost always (if the communication is not pretty much in favor of the employees) run the risk of being criticized to the core!
I’ve had the pleasure of having interacted with at least a quarter dozen HR Professionals who are a part of my social circle. I’ve seen them all go through their own set of ups n downs. So where do the challenges really stem from and in what circumstances. And while attrition is the most obvious of all the varied challenges HR Professionals look to tide over, I think it is worth thinking about the other factors as well.
One: Maybe you have the responsibility of downsizing, right sizing or even ramping up the workforce. These are challenges in themselves. Issuing Pink Slips isn’t easy and neither is it easy to meet recruitment targets when you have people accepting an offer and not joining you.
Two: At times you may not always be empowered to take decisions. There may be situations when the Job you do, may not be truly strategic in the sense of completing the triad of the Business Leaders, the Finance Guys and The HR. You may be desperate to be participating in driving key business decisions, but instead might be asked to focus on other administrative functions.
Three: There will be days you feel not one soul is happy with the work you do. While you do wish to keep the employee interests in mind on one hand, you may be constrained by the company policies on the other.
Four: You might run the risk of carrying the emotional burden of the concerns your employees have. While it’s always wise to be practical, it’s not always possible.
Five: You might be misguided by incorrect feedback. Well when training is being conducted, and you ask in person for a feedback people might be nice to smile and say things are perfect. It may turn out to be the exact opposite when you start going through the feedback forms.
I’ve always heard people say that “HR is the most cursed of all the functions within an organization” – well may be, but it surely is a key driving force in keeping your staff satisfied. And while these 5 paragraphs might lead someone to think against pursuing a career in HR, I’d vouch that there definitely are more motivating factors to truly consider this as a career option – of course only if a passion for communication, people, and teamwork figured bold on your inherent skill set.
At times, when I put myself into their shoes I think – its way too taxing to be the bridge between the Higher Management and your Employees. Depending on what you are asked to communicate, you might almost always (if the communication is not pretty much in favor of the employees) run the risk of being criticized to the core!
I’ve had the pleasure of having interacted with at least a quarter dozen HR Professionals who are a part of my social circle. I’ve seen them all go through their own set of ups n downs. So where do the challenges really stem from and in what circumstances. And while attrition is the most obvious of all the varied challenges HR Professionals look to tide over, I think it is worth thinking about the other factors as well.
One: Maybe you have the responsibility of downsizing, right sizing or even ramping up the workforce. These are challenges in themselves. Issuing Pink Slips isn’t easy and neither is it easy to meet recruitment targets when you have people accepting an offer and not joining you.
Two: At times you may not always be empowered to take decisions. There may be situations when the Job you do, may not be truly strategic in the sense of completing the triad of the Business Leaders, the Finance Guys and The HR. You may be desperate to be participating in driving key business decisions, but instead might be asked to focus on other administrative functions.
Three: There will be days you feel not one soul is happy with the work you do. While you do wish to keep the employee interests in mind on one hand, you may be constrained by the company policies on the other.
Four: You might run the risk of carrying the emotional burden of the concerns your employees have. While it’s always wise to be practical, it’s not always possible.
Five: You might be misguided by incorrect feedback. Well when training is being conducted, and you ask in person for a feedback people might be nice to smile and say things are perfect. It may turn out to be the exact opposite when you start going through the feedback forms.
I’ve always heard people say that “HR is the most cursed of all the functions within an organization” – well may be, but it surely is a key driving force in keeping your staff satisfied. And while these 5 paragraphs might lead someone to think against pursuing a career in HR, I’d vouch that there definitely are more motivating factors to truly consider this as a career option – of course only if a passion for communication, people, and teamwork figured bold on your inherent skill set.
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