The Ugly Truth Behind HR Comics: “A perspective on how the HR professionals are perceived organizationally in Egypt.”
You may have the guts to know what other people are thinking about you; but have you given it a chance to think about yourself as an HR professional working in Egypt?!
1st Dilemma: “Employees think that the HR is limited to paper work. It is an Easy Job.”
It shows how employees perceive the HR in Egypt and belittling or limiting their role “as an easy job” versus how the HR professional sees the job as a burden and troublesome and to some degree, HR perceives it as a terrible job!!! However, one wonders how those HR professionals are supposed to investigate an incident and come up with rational and fair decisions that balance the interest of the employee versus the interest of the company while we know that their inner self feels that this job is terrible and full of obstacles (i.e. challenging)! Aren’t HR professionals supposed to invade challenges?!
In fact, such types of HR professionals are a reason why employees think like this. Simply because they do not make a concrete touch to their employees’ lives!!!
This is due to the fact that HR professionals should demonstrate with dedication that they are the source of positive energy and commitment. They should pursue activities and engagement programs that manifest the strategic role of HR in organizations. Don’t you think?!
2nd Dilemma: “Employees believe that the HR Professional may abuse the use of control means for their own interests and they do advice what they do not apply.”
Some employees observe HR employees making use of their role as a control unit. This may include tardiness, absence, leave requests and extends to breaking significant policies in the organization.
Also from the other side, the HR professionals spend a lot of time at work that extends to weekend works and late hours. There is no doubt that one should be fair. We are all having time management issue, especially with a reduced workforce plan in organizations. But the perspective of employees towards the HR here is valid. The role of HR is to train the employees on important policy violations, time management, and work life balance!!! Typically, HR professionals should ask themselves: Are you really spending time at work out of passion or out of inability to control your time?! Is it a question of respecting business needs or a fear to say “No” in order to avoid being in the blacklist?!
3rd Dilemma: “Employees think that they do all the efforts while HR professionals spend times talking and still get the highest salaries.”
It reflects how the general employees perceive that the HR professional receives higher salaries than the rest within the organization versus how the HR professional is unhappy with his/her current salary… and this very HR professional should convince a new prospect employee with a job offer!!!
This indicates that the employee is unhappy with the pay structure which should be fair and consistent. Also, such type of thinking from the HR professional side shows a contradiction in the mentality of the HRians who are not convinced with what exists and they do not change it. Shouldn’t HR professionals be the agents of change?!
4th Dilemma: “Employees show love to the HR while they backstab them when they are absent. The Employee Engagement Survey proves it all… ”
The employees love and respect the HR department because they are the control unit and the ones responsible for code of ethics; at the same time the HR professionals know, for sure, that many people are full of hatred and grudge against them due to their mental belief that they carry out the management decisions word to word, only.
The fact is the HR department tries to make a harmonic balance so that managerial decisions and employee satisfaction intertwines. Nevertheless, this challenge wins in favor of the organization, most of the time. From the other side, this infers on how some of the HR professionals forget their divine role in the organization in establishing fair and wise decisions.
To conclude, one should disagree with this type of stereotype that prevents productivity and hinders efficient co-operations inside organizations. What we mentioned here cannot be globalized; nonetheless, it is a fact. Typically, as HR professionals, we should reconsider these views and correct it in our systems. The best approach to solve these kinds of dilemmas is to think with the attitude of “Employees before clients” –Employees must be the first strategic priority in organizations. As Richard Branson said, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
By: Ahmed Saadalla – CEO HR Revolution ME
EDITOR: Nada Khafaga
Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/HRjobComics