By Juliah Karimi.
We have all dealt with human resource managers at one point in our lives. And I must say my experiences have not always been good but I have had the chance of interacting with HR managers who have clearly shown me direction and of course I have learned quite a lot from them.
We all love to hate the HR, but what we don’t know is that in most cases they are right. Why? Because they have the rules at their finger tips. Take this scenario, you come in to work 20 minutes late and on being summoned by the HR, you go in looking sullen and all defensive.
Before they ask you why you are late, you begin with a tirade of insults. Take a look at the whole scenario. They just asked why you were late. The professional thing to do is explain the situation that you were in and what led to the lateness. It doesn’t pinch to wait and explain your side of the story. You will be amazed that at the end of it all that no disciplinary action is taken against you.
When you are wrong, admit you are wrong and take ownership. Be the bigger person In this case. When you are being employed, you normally have an induction and of course company rules and regulations are given. So when you flout those rules, expect the HR to be on your case. Always know the rules that govern your stay in employment and why you should abide by them.
Read the HR policy of that company and know what it entails. If you are not agreeable, it would be advisable not to sign the contract just to avoid some nasty scenarios in the future.
The government, and the unions and the law in general have the worker covered and the labour laws are easily accessible. It’s sad to say some companies easily ignore these laws and that is where you can trap that evasive HR who always seems to evade your benefits and is always disciplining you for things that are of course a figment of their imagination.
If possible have the labour laws with you, that way when the HR makes a decision that is unlawful, you can back it up with something concrete. Don’t go running into his/her office with claims of lawyers yet you do not have facts and figures to prove your claims.
The Human Resource manager is of course a human being and they can reason with you once you know your rights and are willing to back it up with concrete evidence. Have a paper trail of all information and correspondence with you and the company to make sure that all details are clear and easily accessible.
We can not exhaust all avenues of the HR Manager and my work is to give you a guideline on what to expect either as a Human Resource Manager or as an employee. My advice is know your rights, have a paper trail and be calm and collected, listen to advice and tell your side of the story. In addition never raise your voice and always own up to your mistakes.
If you do all these, trust me your workplace will be your home away from home. The Human Resource manager might be your best friend.
Whats your experience with HR managers? Comments below.
Juliah is a HR Officer at Corporate Staffing Services. Website: www.staff-kenya.com
Related posts:
How To Rise From That Small Job To The Big One.To Receive daily jobs In Kenya in your inbox,please subscribe here below.