41 Things that frustrate HR Professionals

The HR profession
looks like an easy profession from the viewpoint of most outsiders. I took an
opportunity to ask HR professionals to indicate the things that frustrate them
the most.  I list below some of the
issues that HR people struggle with as they practice their profession.

1. Directors
   who only think highly of HR when they wanted their relatives recruited.
2. Preparing
   all investigations and hearing documents then told to submit everything to
   company lawyers because they would complete the tasks "legally".  The lawyers would be paid double my salary.
3. Fellow
   managers who are quick to tell their subordinates good news e.g salary
   increases but always approach HR to tell the same subordinates simple work
   ethics like coming to work on time. Managers that don't manage their staff and
   push things to HR
4. Interview
   panellist who uses interviews to settle personal matters especially (internal
   posts)
5. Poor
   recognition yet everyone runs to you when there is a crisis
6. Management
   who blame HR for  decisions they make eg on
   salaries
7. Line
   managers who shove all issues to HR when they can handle
8. Working
   with an Executive/s who are good at the blame game.
9. Management
   that wants to make salary decisions on the due date.
10. Working
    with Managers who always want to take credit when things come out nice but on
    the opposite does not want to take ownership when the outcomes are bad.
11. Dealing
    with line managers who studied only one HR subject and think they are now HR gurus.
    
12. Working
    with this new millennial generation that won't sweat much but is very
    demanding.
13. Adjusting
    salaries to chase inflation. Seeking and justifying salary adjustment during this
    hyperinflationary environment
14. Culture
    change in a COVID environment
15. Finding
    the right skills from the current crop of graduates.
16. Employees
    who think HR solves their retirement
17. Management
    that fails to adapt to technological developments.
18. Collective
    bargaining is such a tedious and emotional wrecking process.
19. The
    disciplinary hearing is another stressful process.
20. You
    give HR advice to executives   and they
    say let's hear what the Consultant will say.
21. Executive
    saying business is not performing well due to the harsh economic environment
    whilst on the other hand employees saying they are not coping up with the harsh
    economic environment. And you are told to handle the hungry workers. They are
    your people handle them that's your job.
22. Coming
    in to fix grievances created by other departments.
23. Inconsistent
    policy application.
24. When
    employees ask section head policy issues, section head says go to HR.
25. When
    executives grade people instead of positions when doing job evaluation exercise.
    
26.  When managers are partial in handling
    disciplinary issues
27. There
    is no money for training and development
28. Fixed
    Disciplinary hearing 'He or she must go at all cost'
29. Complicated
    performance management system eg Results based management{RBM}.
30. Fixed
    recruitment and selection.' CV from CEO 
    with the instruction “this person must get the job”.'
31. Being
    blamed for the employees' poor performance and overall organisation
    performance.
32. Being
    blamed by employees for management decisions when you are in the same
    predicament with them
33. Being
    seen as a peripheral function/profession in the organisation
34. Paying
    the boss a domestic worker allowance that is equivalent to my salary
35. Keeping
    quiet in a Board session when one of the Director is giving factually incorrect
    statements because he/she thinks she knows it all
36. Forfeiting
    the right to collective bargaining because of the dual-role in which you are
    equally expected to be on the side of the employer
37. Being
    considered as peripheral skills of the organization than core & strategic
    partners.
38. Line
    management is always reluctant to discipline their subordinates. Even after
    being told that it is their responsibility. HR is there to advise and
    facilitate disciplinary procedures.
39. Employees
    electing workers committee members who are not up to the task. They choose
    members who only make a lot of noise without much contribution to the works
    council business.
40. Line
    management not walking the talk when it comes to organization culture
41. Executives
    who try  to manipulate policies/code of
    conduct to solve personal vendettas

Memory Nguwi is an
Occupational Psychologist, Data Scientist, Speaker, & Managing Consultant-
Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd a management and human resources
consulting firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/memorynguwi/ Phone +263 4
481946-48/481950/2900276/2900966 or cell number +263 77 2356 361 or email: mnguwi@ipcconsultants.com  or visit our
website at www.ipcconsultants.com