Ulog Reflections | On Burning Bridges
I was having breakfast with my team and we were discussing the churn and attrition rating of the company. Going through the answers they conduct during focus group discussions as well as the answers we got from exit interviews help us present the reasons why people leave.
This is then we started talking of people who immediately resigned or those that went AWOL (Absent Without Leave)which we hate processing because you need to process a lot of paperwork and even send a couple of registered mail just to make sure that the company did its due diligence and processed the termination due to AWOL correctly.
We have a new member, she just recently graduated and this is her first Human Resources job and how I envy her optimism and innocence yet. I can see she listens with rapt attention because of the two conflicting arguments going on. As usual, I would be the last to speak because I don't want to unduly influence the discussion.
One side is saying that leaving like that is tantamount to burning bridges and connotes a non-professional attitude because you leave the company hanging on what to do with the pending work, your status and with less time to be able to source for a replacement. AWOL papers needs to be filed and sent so it entails a lot of things to be done to the HR personnel that is assigned to process it.
I can understand how she was feeling as I am a person who hates doing paperwork as well and yet I was thinking of these people who abruptly left and what were their reasons on why they left that way.
Trust is an important thing to have to be an effective Human Resources person. Trust is important so that people will come to you and talk about their issues and problems before it becomes too unbearable.
This is why I am always pushing for focus group discussions and for HR to be friendly. I know some of my people don't like the extra effort I am asking them to do and being open enough they have told me at times they feel it is pointless because we still lose people. My answer there is for every 5 people that we lose if we are to save one then I would not say it is a total lost.
The other side was arguing how the environment, in particular management was contributing largely in the churn as majority of the managers and supervisors had this thinking that people are easily replaced.
One manager in particular is fond of saying that everyone can be replaced, even her. Although what she might be trying to say that everyone is equal and can be fired at any time the way it is understood does not foster loyalty or having a safe environment because everyone would be afraid to make mistakes. This with her penchant for having favorites who seems to get away with everything further reinforces the negative aspect of her words.
Now this is my conundrum often times because I need to be neutral. I cannot appear to be too pro employee nor appear to be a management dog. Such is the life of a human resources personnel that it is likened to walking on a very thin wire and whatever side you fall on, still means you fall.
A balancing act is needed and I always caution people that I handle to not let their emotions get the better of them.
My take on it even when things are so bad that a person needs to leave that they should do their best to render at least 30 days and do their transition to the best of their ability. Give all the support the new person replacing them and teach them everything to make them successful in their job.
Take the opportunity in an exit interview to tell what went wrong because that is how we can try to help that it does not happen to someone again especially when the reason is bullying. I have seen this as one of the prevalent reason because a superior does not like a particular person and so they start to "manage" out someone.
I have given warnings to these kinds of supervisors because I will not take that kind of attitude even if they are backed by certain powerful individuals in the organization. I stand by my morals even if it is in direct conflict of the company.
Lastly leave with your head held up high and know that you did everything correctly because what you do is a reflection of who you are and not who they perceive you to be. When you did everything properly you leave with your reputation and work ethic intact even if they bad mouth you. Let us face it office politics is always at play and so let your actions speak for yourself.
Once you leave, forget about them. You don't need to remember them, or look back because all you need to do is look forward and move towards your own path. If someday you come across them in another company you know you did everything right so whatever they do will not affect you.
I am the type of person when I leave, I will never go back because whatever I decide on is final and I will not live with regrets. So move forward and light it up behind you.
Sometimes it is not about regrets in looking back but a simple reflection between the good things and bad to correct our present and learn from it,
Indeed we need to have the peace of mind and move forward and one of the best way is to reflect on the circumstances and move towards what is good for us and our well being.
It's good job sir,,,,!
Thank you Nasrul71
Very nice
Much appreciated Alhamiid
Interesting read, it sounds like you need to balance the relationship as a human resource manager in a similar way that freelancers do (although, from the opposite side!).
Yes the balancing act is something that is hard to do and explain to my fellow Human Resources practitioners.
It is a very thin line and often you get accused of not being objective and told to be either too pro-employee or a dog of the management!
I guess it's been a while since I worked in an office of any kind, but specifically one that was a highly charged environment as this one sounds. I can't say that I miss it one bit. Even the office I ran as a newspaper publisher, even though that one was much more low key—boredom may have been a problem there. :)
At any rate, I think you've got the unenviable tightrope to walk there, and it's got to wear personally at least sometimes. The one thing that I could see me trying to do is to come as close to the truth in each situation, to determine what was transpiring and why.
I don't know how willing I would be in an exit interview to give my full side. I might be. It would probably depend on the circumstances and whether or not I felt that what I said would make any difference, especially if it meant changing some process wholesale, or removing a bunch of people, including supervisors, who were standing in the way. It would be most difficult to do if I were to blame or at fault for anything, or could be made to look like it, which often happens, too.
Still, it sounds like you are a good fit there, and good for the HR department and thus those who are working there. It also sounds like the new girl is in for an eye opening experience. :) Surely they teach office politics in college. :) Okay, probably not. But maybe they should.
Most of the companies that I have worked with have such a high level of stress and attrition and I am often there to understand and lower down the churn.
It does wear me down at times and hard to keep a positive outlook especially when you see wrong things being done.
This is one of the main reasons why establishing trust and relationships is an important thing for me to achieve with people. So that they would feel that their opinion and words matter and may change things.
Human Resources courses usually have an ethics class but then theory and reality is really different.
I can see where you have to thread your way between theory and reality. Things really should be black or white, but too many times we like to gray them up. And I'm sure by the time you're aware of what's going on, there's a nice little tangled web being woven that's difficult, if not impossible to undo. It's too bad that management doesn't end up at the same ethics training, then expected to adhere to it. Actually, the entire company should be going to it and periodically be tested. Wouldn't that be fun. :)
I once was a floor manager in a callcenter, just like you if I remember correctly... I know exactly what thin line you're balancing on! You're doing a great job there as an HR manager too, and balancing that same line again... Respect for the way you keep your morals high, despite the pressure coming from both sides to make you lose your balance. Great job! :-)
Ohhh that is something I didn't know about you!!
Yes it is pretty hard to balance things out from both sides.
Keeping morale up is so hard at times and often times I ask myself if it is still worth it.
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