Is Your HR Department a Help or an Obstacle?

Human Resources, by nature, is supposed to add value to the company. Some are quite effective at this, while others are clearly lacking in skill and quality. The question is, what separates the two?

There's the old-fashioned method, where the HR department concerns itself primarily with the rules and regulations. Are the employees where they should be, doing what they should be doing, coming in on time? Are they applying for medical leave using the proper forms? These questions are certainly important, and it's always a good idea to have Human Resources periodically check on the answers to them; issues regarding sexual harassment or the ethics of your hiring methods are also areas that should be under their purview.

The problem, however, comes in when HR forgets that there's far more to their department than making sure everyone is following the rules. Their purpose is to fulfill the needs of the company and its members, not simply hold the measuring rod up against them. They serve in a support capacity, not in a dictatorial one. It doesn't produce a product for the company, nor does it sell or otherwise market anything; its sole reason for existence is to assist the other departments in producing or marketing those things.

The quickest way to determine what kind of human resources department your company has is to look at how they handle the performance appraisal policy. Do they set their own rules and then, having received such absolute authority from the executives, inform the rest of the company as to how things will proceed? This is a hallmark sign of a badly run HR department. They may or may not seek consultation outside their own four walls, and even if they do consult others they may not pay attention to what's being said.

This can often occur when management is weak or otherwise absent, leaving a vacuum for power-seekers to pursue. In contrast, a well-built human resources department will acknowledge their role as supporters and do their best to strengthen the lines of communication between management and the employees. Instead of taking on the responsibility and power of an enforcer, they assist in the creation of a structure where the performance appraisal can go as smoothly and painlessly as possible. An HR department that proves themselves capable of handling the performance appraisal process is most likely well-prepared, and an asset to their organization.

The more HR steps in to take control, the shakier management's position as the enforcer becomes. Once the power balance shifts it's very difficult bringing the company back into equilibrium, but if everyone decides to work together to solidly re-establish the role of every department, your business will run far more smoothly as a result.