Which hat should the HR Manager wear: the employer’s or employees?
It changes from one set to another set of people and from one situation to another, to the aggrieved and oppressed. For the factory labour, he/she is the management’s henchmen- self-serving and unscrupulous. To the enraged trade union, he/she is the villain of the piece holding back an acceptable settlement and a representative of the exploiting class. To the unsuccessful job seeker, he/she is unfair and unresponsive. To the employees who have been coached, mentored & well-guided by a good HR Manager, he/she is a good Samaritan. To the students of HRM he/she is purposeful, tenacious and bold. Thus, the image is never the same.
Here are some of the qualities desired in an HR manager:
- Fairness and Firmness. This is a basic quality of the HR manager he or she should be fair in matters of promotions, demotions, transfers layoffs and be firm in enforcing discipline.
- Tact and Resourcefulness. The HR manager must be tactful in dealing with difficult situations that implies determining what is good and fair and trying conditions and skill in dealing with the most demanding situations. Often tact is misunderstood as cunning. People with these wrong perceptions resort to unethical practices of dividing workers setting one group against another using unlawful means to deal with bold workers or strong union leaders. Such practices are justified quite unjustifiably, by the argument that they are necessary when workers are not amenable to reason or when they resort to violence. But such thinking is highly dangerous to say the least. People particularly the HR managers should never give up their belief however trying the circumstances maybe they should remember that violence begets violence, that wrong deeds do not breed good deeds that fairness pays and pays well. And that respect for lawful cause of action often draws workers on strike to the negotiating table. The HR manager must be resourceful too, he or she should have an open mind objectivity and adjustability to tackle a difficult matter from different angles.
- Sympathy and Consideration. The HR manager must be guided by sympathetic attitude towards employee demands.
- Knowledge of labour laws. The HR manager must possess a sound knowledge of the laws of the land.
- Broad social outlook. It is desirable that the HR manager has a Social Outlook and contribute towards the betterment of quality of life of the employees and those who live around and beyond the company.