HR alignment problems affect companies in different ways. At first you may think that silence from employees is a sign that things are going well and that your employees are feeling engaged and productive.
However, if you consistently fail to hear much from employees, the opposite may be true. But how can you reliably confirm that the silence indicates a problem?
- Read what employees are saying about your company online
- Follow up with new employees after onboarding
- Conduct employee pulse checks or surveys
What causes employee and HR disconnect issues?
- Your employees don’t think of HR beyond its tactical role. Sometimes employees view HR only as an administrative resource for hiring, terminations and benefits questions.
- They believe HR is pro-owner or pro-management. HR usually spends a lot of time with the organization’s owners and senior leaders. Sometimes the rest of the workforce takes notice of this tendency and concludes that they aren’t approachable or must be pro-management at heart.
- They don’t trust HR anymore. Even slight miscommunication with terminations, performance counseling and changes in initiatives can break down trust (like an employee relations issue that wasn’t explained fully). If employees disagree with HR’s actions, they sometimes stop trusting HR altogether. Employees may also become wary of HR staff who have personal friendships outside of the department, making their impartiality less convincing.
When HR and employees are out of sync, the sentiment can eventually travel outside of your organization. This can negatively impact your recruiting efforts.
How do you fix HR disconnect?
- Get away from your desk and spend time with people. The more you interact with employees on a regular basis, the more trust you can rebuild.
- Check your approachability. Make every effort to be welcoming and receptive when employees come to you. Even in situations that are challenging for you or involve conflict.
- Avoid “checkbox” HR. Don’t just cross an employee task off your list. Truly listen, engage and support your employees through the processes that may seem mundane to you.
- Ensure employees understand their career path. Build trust by helping employees see that they have a future at your organization. Let them know that you’re there to help them advance and grow.
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