The widely perceived conceptions of HR personnel are rather unflattering. They are usually deemed as strict, unfriendly and sometimes even offensive. But is that really who they are? The answer is a definite no. HR personnel are not at all harsh and mean; they are not there to make everyone’s life miserable. If anything, they perform a lot of tasks that everybody else would see as rough. HR employees come off as insensitive and uncooperative when in fact they are trying their best to remain focused.
Here are some examples of jobs the HR personnel are responsible for that might have helped in building their bad reputation:
- The HR department is the go-to place for complaints. Personnel over there are the ones who have to receive and deal with those complaints. That is no walk in the park. They must remain neutral and come up with a compromise to ease the situation. Sometimes, their solution is not everyone’s cup of tea and they end up being blamed for that. The complaints can range from a raise denial to a vacation dismissal and sometimes even to a threatening law suit.
- The HR department evaluates employees. In order to maintain the company’s smooth sailing, it has to stay in contact with all other departments to get a report on all employees. Of course, no one likes to be evaluated and HR personnel end up carrying the stigma of giving negative feedback. The questionnaires the HR department distributes across the company don’t make things easier either. No one wants to waste time filling in forms for some bureaucratic nonsense.
- You know what else the HR department is responsible for? FIRING.
Even though the department must consult with the managers and the boss, and can sometimes hand them the firing task, they still have a say when it comes to letting off employees. That is one of the main reasons the department is seen as a “wicked witch.” After all, everyone wants to keep their job and everyone remembers the face that had sent them out to the cold. - To top all those reasons, HR employees are usually seen as robots. They simply follow rules and handle people along the way. That is probably the ultimate “why people hate HRs” reason.
Finally, your personal feelings towards your HR department are up to you. However, try and cut employees there some slack because their tasks involve a lot of contact with people and that is never an easy thing. They want to be friendly and cheerful all the time, but must focus on the task at hand and not let their emotions get the best of them.
Sohila Ayman El Saadany
Photography: Mahmoud Mansi
EDITORS: Mennat-Allah Yasser Zohny & Nada Adel Sobhi