4 Human Resources Stereotypes and How You Can Avoid Them

"How come HR has such a terrible rep?" If you're familiar with Google's autocomplete feature, you'll be able to find the most prevalent HR stereotypes at the drop of a hat!

Stereotypes emerge from personal observations, where poor experiences often impact people's perceptions of a subject. Every other occupation now has its reputation, a quick assessment of character. It's no different in the field of human resources.

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What are the four most common HR stereotypes?

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1. "HR exclusively works in the organisation's favour."

HR is (unfortunately) on two sides of the same coin: it exists to protect the company from legal issues and to safeguard people from mistreatment. The problem now emerges when the coin is flipped, and a decision must be taken; it is challenging when employees doubt the company's position in the process. Nevertheless, HR must commit to one of them at this critical juncture, and protecting the organisation must always come first.

But, why?

There's no denying that if the company goes bankrupt, all its employees go with it. As a result, it makes sense for HR to be on the company's side. (At this point, employees begin to see HR as a competitor.) 

HR takes a seat in front of the air conditioner. And the fan is always on. And something will eventually hit that fan- whatever it is, the rest of the company will see it coming from HR. Whether or not HR is responsible for the problem, HR will bear the brunt of the consequences.

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2. "Instead of creating company culture, HR corrodes it."

Assume you work for a company with a great culture, transparent operations, and a pleasant place to work. Then comes a change in the economy, which throws the company's finances into disarray. An executive's decision to lay off certain staff sparked this downturn. When this happens, guess who you'll call a meeting with to send you the termination letter? HR.

At these critical times, HR is most likely the last step in the offboarding process, and hence the "bad" people. 

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3. "HR has little knowledge of the company outside of their department."

Most people think of human resources as a department that simply handles the paperwork and unnecessary administrative responsibilities. They overlook the importance of human resources in increasing an organisation's productivity. 

The traditional preconception in HR was always that they are just there to protect the firm, ensure every box is ticked, and every form is filled.

A new kind of HR professional is emerging to handle the altered function, someone who truly understands not only talent-management processes but also an organisation's strategy and business model.

Digital transformation allows HR to rebrand as a resource rather than a department that simply checks boxes to keep afloat.

In a Google world, you can't stay a fax machine.

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4. "HR is the killjoy."

'HR is the fun police,' is a frequent HR cliché. However, this is due to HR's natural responsibility for enforcing employment rules and policies. If an employee breaks company policy, the HR department is in charge of enforcing the repercussions.

It's a common misperception that HR's sole purpose is to enforce rules. On the contrary, effective HR departments achieve a delicate balance between employee requirements and organisational goals.

Most businesses do not consider how much human resources adds to their bottom line. As a result, HR is frequently viewed as a department that adds to the expense of doing business and hence is characterised as a cost centre instead of a profit centre.

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Most employees see HR as the company's protector.

How can you escape these prevalent HR stereotypes?

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1. Provide context for each agreement or conclusion.

Rather than responding with "Why not?" HR experts should answer with "Here's why." Even if an HR specialist explains a hundred reasons why a specific behaviour is a compliance risk, employees will distrust the reasoning behind your organisation's policies.

Hence, HR should provide context and reasoning when responding to such questions.

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2. Collaborate with higher-ups.

HR can only help their organisation build a great culture; it is up to the management and employees to make it happen. 

Employees across your organisation will avoid the idea that HR is just concerned with office politics if clear communication between HR and management is established.

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3. Make use of the appropriate equipment.

Using the correct personnel management software ensures that your employees see HR as knowledgeable about the organisation's aims. HR software that is automated can assist in the following areas:

1. Before an employee's first day on the job, send out employment documentation.

2. Develop a performance management system with software that logs feedback to remove uncertainty in disputes.

3. Making it easy for employees to make use of their annual leave.

Stereotypes in human resources are unavoidable. However, when HR finds the appropriate mix between compliance facilitator, strategic collaborator, and employee advocate, it can deliver an experience that exceeds your employees' expectations and debunks popular HR myths.

 

Source: peoplehum