Why do people in organizations not trust HR? Should we do something about it?

The word organization has its root in the Greek word Organon, meaning a tool that creates value. Organizations are everywhere, yet they cannot be seen, but only experienced

Gareth Morgan, in his book ‘Images of Organization’, defined organizations in 8 metaphors. I clubbed these 8 metaphors of organizations into 4 and tried to view Human Resources (HR) functions in organizations through these metaphorical lenses.

If organizations are tools to create value, then:

·?What value does HR organization create in each of these metaphors?

·?Why do questions about HR’s inability to build trust keep cropping up, and why are these unfounded?

Metaphor 1- Organization as Machines:?

In this metaphor, an organization is a series of connected parts arranged in a logical order to produce a repeatable output.

What it means: People who see organizations as machines want order and control. They strive for clearly defined roles. If a person exits, another one replaces and performs the role producing similar output. Logic and reason win the day.

HR’s role in this metaphor of organization: Considering the machine metaphor, HR’s role is to design efficient, standardized people processes with checks and balances. The challenge of such processes is that people seeking exceptions will complain about HR’s inflexibility. The same people who swear by logic and reason will be less understanding about the reasons when a decision is not in their favor.

Challenges HR faces: When HR points out inefficiencies in managers’ and employees’ ways of working, it is labelled as watchdog. At other times, when HR advocates creating a leaner organization, managers view it as cold, unsympathetic, even though they were responsible for all the flab in the first place. All the unpopular decisions then are attributed to HR. ??

Metaphor 2- Organization as a Learning Organism:

Definition: an organization is a collective response to its environment. It must adapt to survive as the environment changes.

What it means: People who see organizations as learning organisms think of changes to the organizational environment as forces and factors which they must respond to if they have to survive and thrive. This metaphor resonates with the concept of Antifragility made popular by Taleb. Learning organisms must work on double loop learning. That is, they must not only constantly develop feedback loops that help them gauge their effectiveness but also feedback loops that help them question how they define effectiveness itself.

HR’s role in this metaphor: HR’s job in this metaphor is to ensure that the organization is de-risked from the effects of new legislations, or any other technological or environmental changes. It also means constant management of change for betterment. HR functions operating in this metaphor constantly challenge traditional expectations, policies, and processes to come up with better ones.

Challenges HR faces: However, when HR designs and deploys learning programs to build organizational anti-fragility through upskilling, people who see organization as a machine metaphor will complain about people going off for learning instead of working. The same managers will not blink once before letting go of an employee who did not develop himself or herself.

Despite the fact everyone understands that change is the only constant, people complain of too many changes around them. They will expect HR to listen to all their cribs, whether those are legitimate issues or not. When told to find constructive solutions through better dialogue with their managers, the same people will criticize HR for not helping.?

?

Metaphor 3- Organizations as culture systems

Definition: An organization is a mini society, with its own culture and subcultures defined by their values, norms, beliefs, and rituals.

What it means: People who see organizations as cultural systems value shared beliefs, norms, and rituals of an organization. They often think of the organization as a mini-society and are interested in the overall employment experience. One big pitfall of this is culture ossification. People can get trapped in a static way of thinking, adopt conformist ideals, and resist change. In effect, they become prisoners of Plato’s Cave.

HR’s role in this metaphor: Organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in term of age, gender, knowledge, ability, etc. Four demographic and psychographic personas work in the employment pool today- Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials (Gen Y), and Gen Z. ?All of them have different expectations from HR. This has given rise to a need of re-examining policies, practices, and values such that the organization doesn’t differentiate amongst these groups and creates a culture of collaboration, creativity, respect, belongingness.

HR’s role in this metaphor is to ensure that people broaden our ability to perceive, question, and change our organizations for better. ?

Challenges HR faces: HR is the custodian of Company’s culture and a facilitator. Leaders are the culture builders. However, when leaders abdicate their responsibility in shaping the culture and expect HR to wave a magic wand that results in great culture, it creates a big problem. A bigger problem arises when abdication of responsibility is not even realized because it is a blind spot for most leaders.

Metaphor 4- Organizations as political systems and instruments of domination:

Definition: an organization is a game of gaining, influencing, and coordinating power; an organization is a means to impose one’s will on others and exploit resources for personal gains.

What it means: People who see organizations as political systems are mostly concerned with gaining and wielding power and influence. They view employees as followers to accrue, fellow leaders as either allies or foes, and superiors as those to influence and control.

People who see organizations as an instrument of domination are often terrible people to work with and for. They see employees as objects to be subjugated. They also tend to see the natural resources available to the company as theirs to exploit. There are many books written on this subject. Two noticeable ones are: ‘The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't’, ‘Why do so many Incompetent Men become leaders?’

The Dilbert Principle is also relevant in this metaphor.

Role of HR in this metaphor and challenges it faces: HR is the conscience keeper of the organization and must raise hand when it sees any leader treating the organization as instrument of dominance or political system.

However, this becomes a big challenge because neutrality is one of the most difficult HR tasks. Creating an unbiased organization is a constant, and seemingly impossible battle.

Another inconvenient truth is that more than 90% of organizational conversations stay exclusively within this metaphor.?Worse, people are permanently stuck in this metaphor and find it very difficult to think in terms other metaphors of organization.

When people in the organization expect HR to take their side, and HR as a conscience keeper does not, HR is painted as a villain and choicest adjectives are assigned to it.

?

What should HR Professionals do?

Organizations cannot be seen from a single lens. A seasoned HR professional takes a comprehensive view of the organization and helps business leaders expand their horizons as well.

When HR professionals first take time to understand multiple vantage points of an organization, they can help business leaders unfold multiple layers which constitute this enigma called organization.

Only a nuanced professional can wrap their hands around the complex demands from HR as a function so that it can create balance in the various metaphors that define an organization.

This requires delivering higher returns on Human Capital Investments through programs that are needed for a business to compete over long run. Human Resources Professionals will need to continuously engage and move business leaders' thinking forward to facilitate development of a multi-dimensional view of organizational reality. Over time, others will appreciate how HR constantly strives to create balance in the organization.

?