Not just your ‘agony aunt’, HR managers say there’s much more to their job

One of the many pervasive notions around HR departments is that they are simply event organisers and personnel managers.

Social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, are filled with human resources (HR) leaders, managers and juniors voicing that they are just scapegoats for delivering bad news to the staff, as the management does not have the guts to do it themselves.

Jibes do not stop when it comes to the HR role, especially during mass layoffs. “Will let you know”, “I don’t have anything in my hand”, and “office party is mandatory” are a few phrases employees across organisations usually associate HR professionals with.

The prevalent ideas of HR’s role are limited to hiring, granting leaves, policy-making and nowadays conducting layoffs. However, the reality is there is much more to their role and functions, say HR professionals. There are numerous myths around their profiles that need debunking, they say.

Not just to offer emotional support

One common view about HR profiles is that they act as an ‘agony aunt’ for employees. Sandesha Jaitapkar, COO and CHRO at Artha Group, a firm which operates in the energy and entrepreneurial sectors, agrees that HR professionals are good listeners and problem-solvers but highlights that they are not there just to offer emotional support.

“HR professionals are also responsible for strategic decision-making, policy development, and ensuring legal compliance within the organisation,” she said.

According to Jaitapkar, HR professionals are often called the “agony aunt” because their responsibility for employee lifecycle and performance management is confused with employee concerns and grievance management.

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To solve this, Artha trains every manager to be the HR of their department. “Empowering leaders to address employee concerns and grievances directly promotes transparency, accountability, and open communication throughout the organisation,” the HR leader said.

In a nutshell, while HR may offer guidance and support to employees in need, they are not solely focused on counselling and mediation.

Not a fan of bureaucracy

Just like bureaucratic processes are infamous for causing trouble to common citizens, people think HR exists to make employees' lives more difficult.

Chetna Gogia, CHRO at e-commerce enabler startup Gokwik, believes the biggest myth employees have about the role of HR is that HR is solely responsible for enforcing processes and rules at the workplace.

For instance, Gogia explained that in a remote working setup, HR provides more flexibility in terms of work hours and location to accommodate the employees' needs and ensure that work is done effectively.

With recent disruption in the talent market led by “The Great Resignation” and “The Great Return”, she said that HR is no longer just an operational department; it has evolved into a highly strategic function within an organisation.

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“HR [now] invests in robust training and development programs to help employees adapt to remote work and improve their skills to perform better,” Gogia.

'HR personnel are not just event managers'

One of the many pervasive notions around HR departments is that they are simply event organisers and personnel managers.

However, Sonia Mahajan, HR Manager at HROne asserts that this could not be further from the truth. “There's so much going on behind the scenes between HR and stakeholders —the 'good part' that employees either remain unaware of or credit the top management for,” she said.

According to Mahajan, the role of HR is paramount in ensuring the company is adhering to every rule and regulation while fostering a positive and empowering work environment for employees. This includes addressing complaints of harassment, discrimination, and other issues that may arise.

However, Mahajan points out that organising fun events is important to boost the morale of employees. “Not just organising trips and making rangolis, HR professionals understand the importance of the mental health of employees,” she said.

Can HR be replaced?

One of the common misconceptions about HR is that it lacks a deep understanding of the business and is at an arm’s length from key business decisions and priorities, said Nimisha Dua, CHRO at Grip.

“The truth however is that, in today’s world of work, the HR function not only has a thorough business understanding but is also able to demonstrate the tangible impact people's initiatives have on the business,” she said.

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At Grip, Dua said HR plays a key role in driving business agenda and most strategic business decisions are taken with HR on the table.

Another popular belief these days is that HR will become obsolete due to advances in AI and self-serve technological products.

Though Dua agrees that technology is effective in driving efficiencies like streamlining processes, increasing speed and managing large amounts of data, but also feels that an HR professional’s human touch is irreplaceable.

“Technology can automate repetitive, low-impact tasks, however, till now tech hasn’t been able to effectively replicate human empathy, which is required in navigating the myriad and complex landscape of people issues,” she said.