In an ideal world, employees should regard the HR department as their ally who takes care not only of administration connected to legal aspects of the employer-employee relationship, but also tends to the well-being of employees and fights with company management on their behalf. In reality, however, the reputation of HR departments is less positive. According to a survey by the TeamBlind project, up to 70% of employees do not trust their HR department, considering them rather as an adversary protecting the interests of the employer. So how is it? Is the HR department an ally or an enemy of employees?
What is the role of the HR department?
According to a BBC article, the primary role of HR departments is not, by definition, to stand up for a company's employees. Their main task is to recruit, maintain and off-board employees. While in the past most HR departments focused solely on legal aspects of the relationship between company and employee, today they often pay more attention to the care and well-being of employees. In terms of supporting workers, the article suggests most HR departments need to find a compromise between the company's interests and those of the employee.
Relationship of HR and company management
Regarding the function of the individual HR departments in various companies, the key question is what relationship the given department has with company management, and what the priorities and values of the company culture are. Even the best and most active HR department cannot do much if company management is inactive or oblivious to the needs of employees. HR managers often do not even get the chance to deal with certain problems and topics as they are not even told about them by company managers or individual team leaders; thus the HR department has no way of cultivating a positive company culture.
When should you go to HR?
So how is it? Is the HR department an enemy or an ally of the employees? In what cases should workers reach out to HR?
According to experts quoted in the BBC article, the HR department can never serve as the saviour of a toxic or problematic company culture. The key to good relations at the workplace and an effective solution of problems is enlightened managers who have good relations with subordinates and are capable of solving most problems with them on their own. The path towards a successful workforce therefore is not via an ambitious and proactive HR department, but through complex and long-term changes in company culture, including the system of promoting employees. This should ensure those who reach management positions will then be capable of putting the positive aspects of the company culture into practice during their daily dealing with employees.
The quoted experts also believe that most HR departments genuinely do want to fight for the interests of employees. And if you want to reach out to the HR department with some problem or incident, prepare all the relevant data and know that the HR department will try to solve the issue in a discreet manner, so that everybody is satisfied, including you and other regular employees.
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