Working in Human Resources is harder than it looks! (interviews, job, companies)
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Having seen what happens when HR people are let off their leash if there is one thing the OP's company is doing right it is strongly limiting their power.
Since companies let HR have a big role in hiring, we've seen obnoxious behavior towards candidates reach unfathomable heights, all sorts of miserable quackery like psychometric testing, and behavioral interviewing visited upon anyone unfortunate enough to have to do a job hunt, all sorts of bigotries like refusing to hire the unemployed take root etc.
My best suggestion is switch careers to a productive profession or get used to being loathed.
I am a long time lurker but never have posted on the City-Data board. I enjoy the HR bashing the most. So many times I wanted to register and fight for my career field but never got around to it.
My name is Alice and I work as a Human Resources Manager for a financial company of about 400 employees in Midtown Manhattan. I have been there one year after getting a Masters Degree in HR from Marymount University and experience as a HR Generalist.
NYC is one tough town but being a HR Manager is even tougher. The politics and criticism directed at me and my staff is incredible. They blame me for everything that is wrong with the company. Benefits, compensation rates, small holiday bonuses, layoffs, terminations of popular but incompetent employees, hiring of incompetent employees (that were selected by the manager not HR), aloof uncommunicative executives, and general bad morale.
I got my last performance appraisal and was blamed for most of these things. I told them it was out of my control, but was ignored.
What do you think, are the things above my fault as HR Manager?
I don't think it's your fault as HR manager, but the position is now perceived similarly to an Ombud's position- out to look for the company and bottom dollar.
But, I feel for HR, because it used to be Human Resources where employees could turn to someone to feel protected. Now most employees are so easily dispensible (especially in a large corp) it's like China, hire for cheap labor and who cares.
HR is like the dumping grounds like Social Work is. Lots of politics and red-taping, and most places have eliminated direct HR contact within the corporate buildings and have moved them to the main corporate office. Should employees have a concern to address, they speak via the telephone and not in person, not as easily accessible. "Open door policy" is another word for crap.
I don't agree that HR in general is harder than it looks. I think your financial services company isn't doing HR correctly.
HR, by intent, is there to support the company...but they're also there to support the employees. If employees have grievances the HR staff are supposed to be empowered to do something about them - which usually means investigate and take action where needed.
If your upper management are punishing you for just doing your job...which I seriously doubt...then you need to give the feedback that most of what was noted, is outside of your control. Most effective managers will automatically realize this, such that you don't need to tell them. Managers who only care about their own rep are the ones that do what you describe.
That said, there are two sides to every story. I honestly don't buy that you're getting nailed for doing your job, especially when you refer to an employee as incompetent. One key factor of any HR staff member is that they must remain disconnected and unbiased; referring to a former or current employee as incompetent contradicts that understanding. If you added bias to hiring or firing decisions, then yes, you are at fault and received what you deserved.
If an applicant comes in who appears to have less than optimal job experience, no degree, 'meh' references, etc...and you recommend that the person not be brought in for an interview but the manager does anyway, fine. You did your job. But if the manager ends up wanting to hire that person despite the above and you DON'T give feedback as to the potential negatives of that decision...then you're just as responsible. You can't just wash your hands and say "well the manager wanted to hire them". Sure. But your job is to protect the company from getting people that may not be a good fit. Discuss the decision thoroughly with the manager and understand their reasoning, make sure they understand yours, and file all notes of the interaction. That way, if it comes back around that the person was blatantly "incompetent" and results in complaints from the peers, you can produce evidence that you strongly discouraged hiring the person, as well as the reasoning of the manager. It's then on the manager to justify why they chose to go against your recommendation.
My theory: you're being painted as a "bad guy" because you're not covering your own posterior with notes, written recommendations, and clear decision reference. You're wiping your hands at a point and saying it's on the manager; things fall out and you're being thrown under the bus by the same management AND the staff.
CYA applies to EVERY job. In a more enlightened world, that would not be so. We're not there and likely won't ever be.
I don't agree that HR in general is harder than it looks. I think your financial services company isn't doing HR correctly.
HR, by intent, is there to support the company...but they're also there to support the employees. If employees have grievances the HR staff are supposed to be empowered to do something about them - which usually means investigate and take action where needed.
If your upper management are punishing you for just doing your job...which I seriously doubt...then you need to give the feedback that most of what was noted, is outside of your control. Most effective managers will automatically realize this, such that you don't need to tell them. Managers who only care about their own rep are the ones that do what you describe.
That said, there are two sides to every story. I honestly don't buy that you're getting nailed for doing your job, especially when you refer to an employee as incompetent. One key factor of any HR staff member is that they must remain disconnected and unbiased; referring to a former or current employee as incompetent contradicts that understanding. If you added bias to hiring or firing decisions, then yes, you are at fault and received what you deserved.
If an applicant comes in who appears to have less than optimal job experience, no degree, 'meh' references, etc...and you recommend that the person not be brought in for an interview but the manager does anyway, fine. You did your job. But if the manager ends up wanting to hire that person despite the above and you DON'T give feedback as to the potential negatives of that decision...then you're just as responsible. You can't just wash your hands and say "well the manager wanted to hire them". Sure. But your job is to protect the company from getting people that may not be a good fit. Discuss the decision thoroughly with the manager and understand their reasoning, make sure they understand yours, and file all notes of the interaction. That way, if it comes back around that the person was blatantly "incompetent" and results in complaints from the peers, you can produce evidence that you strongly discouraged hiring the person, as well as the reasoning of the manager. It's then on the manager to justify why they chose to go against your recommendation.
My theory: you're being painted as a "bad guy" because you're not covering your own posterior with notes, written recommendations, and clear decision reference. You're wiping your hands at a point and saying it's on the manager; things fall out and you're being thrown under the bus by the same management AND the staff.
CYA applies to EVERY job. In a more enlightened world, that would not be so. We're not there and likely won't ever be.
My name is I'm Retired Now [aka Weekend Traveler, Stranded and Lonely, White Collar Worker, et. al.] and I work as a Human Resources Manager for a financial company of about 400 employees in Midtown Manhattan.
Not a retired man anymore? You have even more problems than I thought.
Having seen what happens when HR people are let off their leash if there is one thing the OP's company is doing right it is strongly limiting their power.
Since companies let HR have a big role in hiring, we've seen obnoxious behavior towards candidates reach unfathomable heights, all sorts of miserable quackery like psychometric testing, and behavioral interviewing visited upon anyone unfortunate enough to have to do a job hunt, all sorts of bigotries like refusing to hire the unemployed take root etc.
My best suggestion is switch careers to a productive profession or get used to being loathed.
Worth noting....
It's sad that there are actually people that aspire to a career in HR--rather, it should be a destination of last resort..
HR isn't really as hard as it looks...I actually think its easier than it looks. At one very large company, HR being typically incompetent had trouble with the hiring queue so my boss loaned me out (an engineer) to HR to interview, rate, and organize paperwork for like a 2-3 week hiring period.
As a HR person, YOU are responsible to support the organization as a resource to them and employees.
Deservedly so, you deserve the criticism because yeah you don't actually have a skill. Case in point:
"Benefits, compensation rates, small holiday bonuses, layoffs, terminations of popular but incompetent employees, hiring of incompetent employees (that were selected by the manager not HR), aloof uncommunicative executives, and general bad morale."
This is not even a freaken sentence and yet you got a masters degree?
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