Do the following concerns sound familiar?

Employee: "I talked with our human resources manager and she was not responsive to my concerns. And it took her several days to return my phone call."

Manager: "When I talked with our human resources manager, he was not receptive to my needs as a manager and made me jump through more paperwork hoops. I even dislike going to HR because they tell me what I can't do instead of giving workable suggestions."

Human resources manager: "Why am I the last to know about changes in this organization?  If only the manager or employee would have talked with me, we could have resolved this concern before outside attorneys were contacted."

How can you make changes in your company to create a three-way synergy for these employees? A trilogy collaboration can create a new company paradigm.

The role is not an easy one. They must know employment laws, hiring, counseling, discipline and termination practices. Additionally, they have expertise in benefits, compensation, payroll, HR information systems, OSHA, worker's compensation and training/development programs.

However, the following attributes will set apart an effective HR department from an ineffective one:

·   knows the business and understands the work demands of employees and managers

·   is sought out by managers for proactive coaching on employee issues and department concerns

·   acts as an advocate for both the employee and the manager while keeping the company goals in the forefront

·   gets employee and manager feedback when designing personnel policies and procedures, and knows how to creatively bend them when the situation warrants

·   remembers who the customer is:  the employees and managers

·   knows how to get paperwork and details done quickly yet thoroughly so that there is time available to meet with customers

·   returns phone calls and e-mails within the same day, preferably within one to four hours

·   has a dotted line, if not a solid line, to the CEO/president

·   is involved with strategic planning with the top management group

·   finds the root of an organizational issue and is part of the solution, not the problem.

COLLABORATING WITH HR

For HR professionals to be most effective, they need to have information in advance. Nothing is more irritating to HR professionals than to be the last to know. Managers should consult with HR prior to decisions about employee hires, discipline, termination and other employee relations issues in a department. Managers should also inform HR ahead of time about organizational changes or other decisions affecting employees.

There are two reasons why this proactive communication is important. First, HR might have some valuable input, especially concerning presenting information in a non-threatening, employee-friendly manner.

Second, there could be a strong chance that the employee(s) involved will go to HR and discuss a concern. It's helpful when HR understands both sides when listening to and counseling an employee.

HR professionals perform a balancing act. They are advocates for the employees as well as the managers. There are times when the manager may need to see the employee's perspective and when the employee needs to see the manager's perspective. A human resources professional can help bridge this gap.

The level of information shared with each side has to be carefully weighed without breaching trust. Sometimes the employee may just want to vent and other times the employee wants action to be taken. Sharing this information with the manager might be helpful for both parties; however, in some situations it could be harmful if the manager would retaliate.

Some managers may feel uncomfortable with employees seeking an HR professional because they feel their management capabilities are threatened. This is unfortunate because if there is trust built with the HR professional and the manager, feedback can be very helpful to the manager's success.

A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP

Here's a real example of how this trilogy can work effectively.

The HR professional has ongoing conversations with a manager about her development plan for all her employees. One missing piece is that there is no supervisory back-up person. A long-term, high performing employee has talked with HR about being unchallenged in his current position and thinks he might want to try management. He is concerned about talking to his manager because it might look like he is complaining about his job or even wants his manager's job. The HR professional suggests that he talk to his manager but the employee is uncomfortable.

In the next meeting with the manager, the HR professional suggests that there might be some employees interested in moving into the supervisory back-up role. Perhaps the manager could start having open career discussions with this employee and ask what type of future role he would like to play in the department.

During the employee's performance appraisal discussion, the manager takes the suggestion and broaches the subject. To his surprise, this employee is interested in gaining the skills necessary to be an assistant supervisor. The employee is thrilled that the manager would even consider having a backup.

HR is then involved once again to help the manager and employee select supervisory training. All parties win, especially the company.

FINDING SUCCESS

For this trilogy to work, HR needs to reach out, act as a resource, and provide value and encouragement to employees and managers. Managers need to keep HR informed and seek assistance. Employees and managers need to feel comfortable using HR as a sounding board.

This all boils down to creating and maintaining trust with employees, managers and HR. The result will produce a more harmonious work environment where department and company goals can be achieved.

Sue Romero is a human resources consultant and facilitator specializing in employee relations issues, manager coaching, management and team training. She has over 20 years experience coaching managers on enhancing their effectiveness. Her web site is www.romeroconsulting.com.