HR Secrets – 7 Secrets About HR That They Won’t Tell You
Every business that has more than a few employees has Human Resources (HR) department. Positioned uniquely to interact with all the employees of the company, their primary role is to ensure peak efficiency and workplace satisfaction of employees. However, the folks at the HR department are only human after all, and here are 7 HR secrets that they won’t tell you about, from a HR insider.
1. HR Secrets #1 – Company policies bind the HR department too
While HR staff receive training and education to help resolve employee problems, they must follow company policies in doing so. Therefore, bureaucracy may suppress employee concerns, leaving them unresolved.
It’s likely not the fault of your HR if your workplace concerns remain unaddressed. And do remember that the bureaucracy is equally frustrating to the HR staff as well.
2. HR Secrets #2 – Why do people see HR as risk-averse
Many companies around the world often see HR departments as risk-averse, often prioritizing the company’s interests over individual employees.. Therefore, they may not always advocate strongly for employee rights. This perception is also backed by the belief that HR roles are often filled by individuals who have struggled in other departments (or) who are not considered among the most ambitious or innovative employees. As a result, HR may not be the best choice for those seeking a dynamic and challenging career.
As an employee or a business owner, the best way to counter this and avoid hiring yes-men as your HR staff is to crosscheck their credentials and expertise.
3. HR Secrets #3 – There can be biases in Appraisals
HR staff closely tie performance appraisals to manager satisfaction, which can create an implicit bias. As an employee, if you raise concerns or issues about management, this bias may interfere with how those concerns are addressed. Therefore, HR often hesitates to challenge managers on the issues brought forward by employees as their individual appraisals are also at stake.
While this can be a major issue in in-house HR teams, such issues do not take place in an outsourced HR setting.
4. HR Secrets #4 – HRs may not treat all employees equally
Corporate management requires HR professionals to retain the best talent in their organization. This can lead to the said top talents receiving preferential treatment by the HR. This is because the HR might focus specifically to cultivate employees who add an X-factor to the organization. For most employees, it is pointless to fight against such preferential treatment. However, this unfairness can be leveraged in your favor in case YOU are the top talent that the organization wants to retain.
5. HR Secrets #5 – Budget Cuts and Recession
The ongoing budget cuts, funding winter, hiring freezes have forced companies to also trim down their HR departments. The HR department in your company are employees after all, and hence are an overhead expenses to the organization. Therefore, the budget cuts and job losses hurt HR departments just as much as the other departments.
If you find yourself being resentful of your HR department for leading layoffs within your team, do spare a thought for HR staff themselves. They are under a tremendous struggle to reinvent themselves as well. Their role requires them to improve the efficiency of your team under a shrinking workplace.
6. HR Secrets #6 – HR’s opinion of you does matter!
In most organizations, the HR team is responsible for annual performance appraisals, as well as employee welfare and management. Therefore, as an employee, your career is at least partially dependent on the impression your HR has on you. Having a positive relationship with your HR can provide a massive boost for your career at the firm. Positive interactions with HR can ensure that they notice your work as well. This can result in having career hikes and promotions as well.
7. HR Secrets #7 – The HR is not your counselor
While we did recommend having positive interactions with the HR, be careful to prevent oversharing of information. Remember that the organization employs the HR department, not the other way around. Therefore, they are under no obligation to keep your information confidential.
On the contrary, if any HR professional finds your activities against the interest of their organization, they will be forced to report it to their superiors. This will give them brownie points in the organisation, which can be a higher incentive than addressing your workplace concerns. Do be careful of what you share in these places.
This article covers the HR Secrets that an HR professional keeps away from an employee. However, these secrets can also be unexpectedly new for founders and entrepreneurs of new businesses. If you’re a founder of a small business reading this post, we recommend you to consider outsourcing your HR. This can ensure that you can avoid the pitfalls that come with hiring an internal HR.
Learn more about collaborating with an outsourced HRBP – HR Business Partner such as Kranium HR Services.
Alternatively, fill in the form below to reach out to an HR professional who can solve all your HR-related concerns.
| Internal HR Department | Outsourced HR Business Partner (Kranium) |
|---|---|
| ❌ Requires time to start being productive | ✅ Starts being productive from Day 1 |
| ❌ Expertise in Silos | ✅ All-round Expertise |
| ❌ Not Exposed To Relevant HR Tools. | ✅Tech Tools are an integral part of HR delivery |
| ❌ Adds to the employee head count. | ✅Does not add to the employee headcount |
| ❌ Cannot scale easily as per requirements | ✅Easily Scalable as per requirements |
| ❌ May have vested interests & partake in office politics | ✅Transparent, no vested interests, above-office politics |
| ❌ Departure of an HR employee causes gaps | ✅Kranium ensures process / knowledge continuity |
| ❌ Low Return on Investment (ROI) | ✅High Return on Investment (ROI) |
