This week, as I enter one more
year of being in the field of people management, thought of retrospecting this
turf.
One of the funniest, common (and
some time irritating too) question I have heard in this field is – HR? Do you guys
work? What work you guys have!!? Etc..
I am sure this question is faced
by most of my HR friends also. For outsiders its very simple job because they
don’t see our efforts unlike many other roles, nor we use any machines, codes etc. But inside story is
different.
When we interact with associates,
we need to analyze back of our mind, what might be going on in his / her mind
and what answers we need to give. Many times it will be right analysis and some
time it back fires, putting us in spot.
Even when we are undergoing turmoil in
life due to various factors, we are expected to keep ourselves cool and answer
all types of questions we are faced without showing our pains within.
The most difficult tasks we are
faced are, when we are supposed to terminate employment of fellow associates. If
its disciplinary action, somewhere we can justify our job, but in all other
case, we are burned with psychological pressure of snatching someone’s
livelihood, which we can’t share it outside, as that is the job demand.
In some earlier assignments, I
have personally spent days together in office without breaks for project
completion, missing personal commitments, facing taunts, nevertheless still I have smiled
when people asked if I have any work.
There are many examples, where
managers don’t perform this difficult role of people management of
communicating any news to their team members but direct them to us, saying HR
decision!! Well, this is to be good in front of them and put us in situation.
However, many associates have started understanding the game these managers are
playing, thank god!! Saved from this at-least.
So what we do in an organization?
In simple words, we are more like spokesperson for management, bridge for
associates, and punching bag for all unfavorable things in the company.
It’s also a privilege role, where
, we do our own joining formalities, prepare our exit documents, own
confirmation letter print out, but don’t imagine next – We fix our appraisal
percentage as well , No !! It’s not done by us!!
At end, if I question, was my
decision of becoming a Management Graduate in HR, way back in school days was
correct, I think yes. For my traits, I don’t think any other role would have
best suited me, like this.
It has given me growth in
careers, vast opportunities to work in different industry, interact with thousands
of associates from 10th pass to IIM graduates, received
appreciations from people for helping them in their career guidance and
decisions, which changed their personal life.
Definitely I feel proud, because,
I work in the most complex area of mankind -
Human Brains.
