Bad Habits Of HR Bad Habits Of HR ProfessionalsProfessionals

Employees are a company’s greatest assets. Employees are a company’s greatest assets. That’s why businesses hire HR professionals to That’s why businesses hire HR professionals to take care of employee needs, manage benefits take care of employee needs, manage benefits and deal with any staff problems or concerns. and deal with any staff problems or concerns. Usually, HR staffers do a great job, but Usually, HR staffers do a great job, but occasionally, they may display poor judgment, occasionally, they may display poor judgment, such as sharing private employee information such as sharing private employee information or failing to follow up on complaints.or failing to follow up on complaints.

HR professionals may fall into the following bad HR professionals may fall into the following bad habits from time to time. By identifying these habits from time to time. By identifying these detrimental behaviors, you can hopefully work detrimental behaviors, you can hopefully work to eradicate them from your organization.to eradicate them from your organization.

GossipGossip HR staffers have access to a large amount of HR staffers have access to a large amount of sensitive information, such as employee sensitive information, such as employee salaries, medical details and performance salaries, medical details and performance reviews. Water cooler gossip on these subjects reviews. Water cooler gossip on these subjects can not only hurt feelings, but also lead to legal can not only hurt feelings, but also lead to legal action over privacy concerns. Imagine the action over privacy concerns. Imagine the uncomfortable situation that could arise if an uncomfortable situation that could arise if an employee’s co-workers learned that he or she employee’s co-workers learned that he or she was misusing the company’s medical was misusing the company’s medical insurance package. Try to keep a tight grip on insurance package. Try to keep a tight grip on gossip by clearly spelling out the gossip by clearly spelling out the consequences of loose lips to the entire HR consequences of loose lips to the entire HR staff.staff.

Unintended leaks of Unintended leaks of private informationprivate information

Willfully spreading gossip is one thing, Willfully spreading gossip is one thing, but there’s also the danger of but there’s also the danger of unintentionally leaking information by unintentionally leaking information by talking loudly in close quarters, using the talking loudly in close quarters, using the speakerphone during private discussions speakerphone during private discussions and forwarding emails containing and forwarding emails containing sensitive information.sensitive information.

Failing to deliver clear Failing to deliver clear salary, benefits and job salary, benefits and job informationinformation

HR professionals are on the front lines of HR professionals are on the front lines of acclimating new employees, so when acclimating new employees, so when they drop the ball on delivering pertinent they drop the ball on delivering pertinent job-related information, it can spell job-related information, it can spell trouble down the road. Employees may trouble down the road. Employees may be confused about their benefits and job be confused about their benefits and job expectations, which can be harmful for expectations, which can be harmful for both the employees and their managers.both the employees and their managers.

Weak hiring practicesWeak hiring practices

Failing to perform a thorough analysis of Failing to perform a thorough analysis of a job and its requirements can lead to a job and its requirements can lead to bad hires, which can cost a company bad hires, which can cost a company serious money. Make sure that each serious money. Make sure that each open position is thoroughly researched open position is thoroughly researched and that managers provide input as to and that managers provide input as to what skills are required in order for the what skills are required in order for the new hire to succeed.new hire to succeed.

Forgetting to follow upForgetting to follow up

HR staffers are often inundated with HR staffers are often inundated with requests for benefits changes, procedure requests for benefits changes, procedure documentation and training, among other documentation and training, among other tasks. With so many responsibilities, it’s tasks. With so many responsibilities, it’s easy to lose track of individual employee easy to lose track of individual employee requests and complaints or forget to requests and complaints or forget to follow up with interviewees who didn’t get follow up with interviewees who didn’t get a job. However, all of these seemingly a job. However, all of these seemingly small tasks can be very important to small tasks can be very important to employees and potential hires and employees and potential hires and should be prioritized.should be prioritized.

Lack of recognition and Lack of recognition and rewardsrewards

Your company has laid out myriad rules Your company has laid out myriad rules and procedures, but what about the and procedures, but what about the rewards? Employees need to be rewards? Employees need to be recognized for a job well done, so work recognized for a job well done, so work with managers to set up a reward system with managers to set up a reward system if there is not one in place already.if there is not one in place already.

Not creating clear and Not creating clear and thorough policiesthorough policies

Perhaps your company has a reward Perhaps your company has a reward system but lacks clear policies. Without system but lacks clear policies. Without public – and better yet, published – public – and better yet, published – procedures in place, HR professionals procedures in place, HR professionals face many more questions and face many more questions and misunderstandings than they otherwise misunderstandings than they otherwise might.might.

Too many rulesToo many rules

Is your team busy writing up policies and Is your team busy writing up policies and procedures for every possible procedures for every possible contingency? Too many rules can make contingency? Too many rules can make employees feel restricted and can also employees feel restricted and can also stifle creative solutions and suggestions.stifle creative solutions and suggestions.

Failing to confront rule Failing to confront rule breakers and unproductive breakers and unproductive

employeesemployees

While it’s important to have some basic procedural and behavioral policies in place, they are of little use if uninformed. Take evaluations and reported complaints seriously and follow up with employees who habitually cross the line.

Playing referee Playing referee

If there’s a problem between an employee and If there’s a problem between an employee and a manager or a dispute between two a manager or a dispute between two employees, the ideal solution is for them to employees, the ideal solution is for them to resolve it themselves. HR professionals can resolve it themselves. HR professionals can help facilitate communications, but they should help facilitate communications, but they should not attempt to play referee between the two not attempt to play referee between the two sides. If the parties cannot resolve their sides. If the parties cannot resolve their differences among themselves, sit everyone differences among themselves, sit everyone down together to help resolve the issue.down together to help resolve the issue.

Not trusting employeesNot trusting employees

An atmosphere of suspicion can make An atmosphere of suspicion can make individual employees and entire teams individual employees and entire teams nervous, and eventually, they will stop nervous, and eventually, they will stop trusting the company. Therefore, HR trusting the company. Therefore, HR staffers should avoid excessive staffers should avoid excessive monitoring.monitoring.

Not applying policies to Not applying policies to your own teamyour own team

HR departments spend most of their time HR departments spend most of their time making sure that the needs of employees making sure that the needs of employees and managers are met, but they and managers are met, but they sometimes forget to follow their own sometimes forget to follow their own policies, especially when it comes to policies, especially when it comes to reviews.reviews.

Delivering bad news via Delivering bad news via emailemail

Working in HR is not always fun, since you Working in HR is not always fun, since you sometimes may have to lay off employees or sometimes may have to lay off employees or deliver other bad news. As uncomfortable as deliver other bad news. As uncomfortable as this situation may be, make sure that you talk this situation may be, make sure that you talk to the affected employees in person so that to the affected employees in person so that you can show empathy and answer any you can show empathy and answer any questions that they might have. This will also questions that they might have. This will also foster an atmosphere of transparency, which foster an atmosphere of transparency, which can help create a mutually respectful can help create a mutually respectful environment between HR and other environment between HR and other departments.departments.

Playing favoritesPlaying favorites

It may be tempting to put someone you It may be tempting to put someone you personally like on the top of the pile for a personally like on the top of the pile for a promotion or new position, but favors such as promotion or new position, but favors such as these are unfair to other candidates. Also, if these are unfair to other candidates. Also, if your biases ever become common company your biases ever become common company knowledge, your professional reputation will knowledge, your professional reputation will very likely be at risk. In addition it is utmost very likely be at risk. In addition it is utmost important to maintain integrity of highest important to maintain integrity of highest standards. Accepting favors from others like standards. Accepting favors from others like vendors and soliciting for favors is also an vendors and soliciting for favors is also an equally bad and tarnishes the image.equally bad and tarnishes the image.

Excessive or Excessive or inappropriate jokinginappropriate joking

Whether you like it or not, the fact of the Whether you like it or not, the fact of the matter is that HR professionals are seen matter is that HR professionals are seen as role models for how other employees as role models for how other employees should behave. Making an off-color joke should behave. Making an off-color joke or dallying excessively can dilute the HR or dallying excessively can dilute the HR department’s image.department’s image.

Once HR professionals know what habits Once HR professionals know what habits they should avoid, they can focus on their they should avoid, they can focus on their core responsibilities and their own core responsibilities and their own personal strengths. After all, if each personal strengths. After all, if each member of the HR department member of the HR department concentrates on doing what he or she concentrates on doing what he or she does best, the entire company wins.does best, the entire company wins.

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