Filed under: Human Resources, Notes from Holly | Tags: Holly, Human Resources, Trust
In the Dilbert comic strip there is a character named “Catbert” (aka, the evil HR Director). I enjoy reading Dilbert; however, I also trust that not everyone views HR as “evil”. Believe it or not, HR professionals actually do have your best interest in mind when we give advice.
As an HR Manager for Landrum, I have the opportunity to work with a lot of different business owners and managers. As the relationships develop it becomes clear how to most effectively communicate with each owner/manager when giving advice. Sometimes all I have to do is say, “Come on, Sally, you know you shouldn’t do that.” Other times, with more formal relationships, it would be more like “Well, Ms. Smith, there are many reasons why it would be wise to re-evaluate your decision to terminate this pregnant employee who just disclosed she is being treated for depression, and who also just returned to work from a workers’ comp injury. Let’s start with the pregnancy…”
Like Catbert, your HR Manager will give advice. Unlike Catbert, we’re going to give you the best advice we know in order to keep you and your business compliant with the myriad of employment laws out there.
The next time you have an employee issue, one of the most important things you can do is to consult with Human Resources. The next important thing is to trust what HR is telling you. Whether you prefer the “Sally, you know better…” approach, or the “Ms. Smith, you might want to consider this…” approach, get to know your HR support people and develop a great working relationship with them. We’re not there to make your life difficult. We’re not there just to tell you “no”. We are there to help. We really do have your best interest in mind, and we really do want what’s best for all concerned.
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments.
