“Sir, what do
you tell these employees that even when you have just terminated their work
contract they come out smiling out of your office?”, my colleagues used to ask me.
This was in the background of frequent strikes by employees in a coal mine in
Mozambique till only a few months back.
The previous
Head-HR had to face immense hostility and when complaints reached the labour
directorate, he was repatriated. I had joined at short notice and set about
getting into the hot seat. The initial days were very tough spent in
understanding the work and social culture, labour laws and other ground
realities. Very soon I was able to establish myself and bring about changes in
the organization.
The
expectations of the management had been made clear to me when being hired.
“Improve productivity.” The question that faced me was, “what do employees
expect from the HR team?” The reader is requested to read this with a caveat.
There is a difference between expectations from a company and those from an HR
person.
My long years
in the Army had taught me that a leader has to know his men. So I started
meeting the employees almost every day when they were in the mine at work or in
their living areas during their free time. This helped me understanding the
psyche and the expectations of the employees from the company. I also picked up
the basics of Portuguese, the spoken language, the social customs, geography
and history. This helped me immensely in connecting with the employees at a
more personal level.
The meetings
with the employees gave me new insights into their behavior and what motivated
them. These expectations were discussed with the management and those which
were feasible, fulfilled. Morale was raised. Discipline improved. Productivity
improved.
I have worked
with organizations before Mozambique and after in different geographies.The
expectations of employees from HR in a coal mining company in Mozambique
resonate with the expectations of an employee in a manufacturing company in
India or a services company in the US. Ultimately it is the human being driven
by same physical and emotional needs. Similarly, the expectations from an HR professional
are the same across industries and geographies.
We look at
some major expectations, being conscious of which has helped me tremendously in
my years as an HR professional working in India and abroad.
Problem solving
The HR professional must facilitate individuals with different
personalities to work together and accomplish company goals. He is expected to
be skilled at conflict management and diffusing tense or combative situations.
Ethics
Employees look up to the HR professional for ethical conduct. Honesty
and respecting confidentiality are key components of any successful HR person.
The employees admire a professional who is honest in his opinion, fair and
unbiased in application of company policies and does not misguide employees.
Communication
An HR professional is the bridge between the employees and the
organization. He should be capable of communicating clearly the policies and
other directions of the company to the employees. Similarly, he should
communicate the feedback received from the employees for the management. He has
to be approachable and trustworthy.
Organized
An HR professional should be organized. Strong time management
skills and the ability to complete tasks efficiently is very important.
Subject Matter Expertise
An HR professional has to know his industry and the competition.
He should be aware of various laws and regulations regarding employment. The
employees and the management look towards him for advice on these matters.
Leadership
Employees look to HR professionals for answers and leadership in
many situations. The best HR professionals can balance being a friendly
presence in the office and the organization with taking control and helping
things run smoothly. They have to be ‘people person’ and balance organizational
requirements with the needs of the employees. He has to be empathetic and
capable of thinking ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions. An employee when approaching an
HR person with a grievance, justified or otherwise, expects to heard. Good
listening skills combined with patience are a must for the latter.
Companies and employees both expect an HR person to be proactive
and address issues before they assume unmanageable proportions. Dynamic has to
be the second name. A real partner to the business and the employees. That is
what is expected.
