What really goes on in human resources? The chances are that, unless you work in HR or have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in their office (don’t worry, we’re not judging), you might not know.
HR departments are often regarded as the heart of an organization and, as such, get stuck into many different things. What most employees see is only the surface of this fascinating profession. This article shares 10 interesting things that the HR department doesn’t want you to know.
Read on to learn more about the inner workings of HR!
1. Off-the-record reference checks exist
Official references rarely get HR professionals anywhere.
Every organization is very cagey about divulging too many details in an official reply to a reference request. This is because of the risk of sharing information that can get the employer in trouble for slander or bias. That said, when there’s hiring to be done, HR departments will freely and easily tap into their network around town.
As part of a hiring process, HR often asks colleagues, peers and ex-employers about you as a candidate, sharing this information over the phone or over coffee. It happens all the time and is often used by HR teams to guide hiring managers when they’re undecided over which candidate to choose.
2. HR’s ultimate allegiance is to the organization
HR departments are heavily focused on employee satisfaction and championing the organization’s culture. Nevertheless, the HR department’s ultimate allegiance will be to the organization.
HR serves as an important safeguard to legal and financial risk and, as such, will make decisions that benefit the organization as much as possible. This will include being risk-averse at the expense of employee requests, such as someone asking for a salary advance.
This allegiance also means that top-performing employees don’t get an easy ride if the company’s interests come first. If layoffs are needed to balance the company’s books, then HR will look at all employees, even the best ones. This seems harsh and unfair, but ultimately HR serves a purpose very similar to accounting: to protect the business.
3. Promotion criteria is muddier than you think
When it comes to getting promoted at work, a common misconception is that criteria are set in stone, being determined by such things as training and development, performance review scores or length of service. The reality can be much more complicated.
HR teams will work with hiring managers on determining a strategic and nuanced approach to promotions. This will take into account less measurable criteria, such as alignment to organizational values, talent management discussions, how the candidate might fit with their hiring manager, or what a good fit might be in terms of incumbent peers (when it comes to teams, contrasting working styles is great).
Of course, the line HR teams have to give is that if candidates work hard and perform well, then the results will follow. This is true to a certain extent, but be aware that HR works with much more complex selection criteria.
4. 5% of the workforce gives HR 95% of the work
Despite HR being at the service of everyone in the organization, some employees do take up more of their time than others. Most employees will only need HR for a few swift reasons (for example: pay queries, a question about health insurance, or support with a training program). However, HR will find a huge chunk of their time taken up by only a handful of employees.
These employees will be HR regulars for a variety of reasons. The most common will be individuals who are always in trouble, attending disciplinary hearings. There will also be employees who habitually complain, with HR having to hear their grievances, no matter how serious or frivolous they are.
5. There’s more flexibility on salaries than HR lets on
HR departments might be seen as the gatekeepers of compensation and benefits, and while there is plenty of red tape governing what salary and employee benefits can be offered any given job, there is usually more wiggle room than candidates are informed of.
For example, if you apply for a role and a recruiter tells you the “budget for this job is $70,000”, most organizations are usually capable of stretching to an extra 5–8% on top of this.
The reason for this is that HR teams understand that top talent isn’t tied to a number, and if they need to up the ante to get a superstar, they will. HR teams can also advise on “creative” ways to add financial value to a role, such as tweaking benefits administration. Be aware, though, this only happens for the very best candidates!
6. Disciplinary decisions are rarely black and white
Make no mistake about it: when it comes to correct disciplinary processes, consistency is key. It’s vital that the same criteria are applied to employees who find themselves on the wrong side of HR.
That said, HR teams have discretion — to a point — when it comes to disciplinary action. For example, they can take into account factors like previous conduct or length of service.
If two employees have made an error that cost their organization $5,000, the investigation and decision-making process will be the same. However, if Employee A has 10 years of service and a clean record, they might be given a lesser sanction than an employee who is less tenured or has a previous warning on file. This is called “mitigating circumstances” and is entirely legal and fair.
7. Confidentiality has its limits
While it’s in the HR professional’s job to remain tight-lipped, they’re not as bound to this obligation as, say, a doctor or a lawyer. In fact, don’t ever assume that what you say in HR stays in HR.
Take a harassment complaint, for example. While some people might be able to make a statement or raise a grievance under anonymity, if HR deems the situation to be a risk to others and decides that certain managers and employees need to be made aware of the complaint, they will share details of it.
Whereas HR might share other information such as salary information with managers who need information for budgets, they’ll never share personally identifiable information without your consent.
8. There are ways to subtly manage people out of roles
Not all firing is explicit or the product of a disciplinary hearing. Sometimes, HR teams will enact processes designed to quietly manage people out of the business.
Some examples of this could be persistently vetoing promotions or learning and development opportunities, putting someone under a performance improvement plan, or moving employees to a more challenging working environment.
While this might be questionable, HR will always operate within the law and avoid such behavior if it can be perceived as discriminatory. Sometimes, however, the best way forward for HR and the managers they work with is to subtly convince the affected employee that moving on is the best option for everyone.
9. They can see the gray area in policies
While HR are often responsible for managing work policies, this doesn’t mean they have to live by them religiously. In fact, HR teams appreciate that even the most important and stringent policies are not always clear-cut, and sometimes a discretionary approach to enforcing them is the best way forward.
Sick leave is a good example. Sometimes, HR teams might approve longer than normal sick leave if the person has long service or is a low flight risk.
As with many items in this article, it’s HR’s job to weigh up the risk of the policy not being followed. In fact, they often get frustrated by employees who overzealously follow policies and report any and all noncompliance to HR!
10. Recruitment processes are organized chaos
Let’s start with the obvious: being ghosted for a job is wrong, and not hearing back about an application for weeks is frustrating. It shouldn’t happen, but it does, and that’s because HR knows that recruiting and hiring processes are often pure chaos.
Hiring for a role requires HR teams to balance politics and big egos, and find an unfindable “perfect candidate”. A smooth recruitment process can be derailed by managers changing job descriptions or the manager introducing an internal “preferred” candidate into the mix at the eleventh hour.
This is coupled with HR teams sometimes running multiple recruitment processes at once, and sitting in on interviews for other roles that they’re not even looking after. All this makes for a chaotic talent acquisition environment where delays and poor candidate management inevitably occur.
Final thoughts
HR departments have a very complex role — and yes, parts of what they do are secretive, and this is for a reason.
By understanding the inner workings of the HR department and discovering things they don’t want you to know, you’ll be able to navigate aspects of your role and career more effectively, such as knowing your rights and negotiating power in the workplace and enabling you to focus more accurately on your own role.
Perhaps, after reading this, you want to begin a career in HR yourself; it really is more exciting than many people think it is!
Can you think of anything else that HR doesn’t want employees to know? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments section below!
This article is a complete update of an earlier version originally published on August 24, 2015.
