Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Long Walk

Yep, I've been gone on a long walk lately from my blog. It can primarily be summed up in a word...Layoffs! My company is in the midst of them and of course HR is right in the thick of things. I hate this part of my job.

While I don't choose who goes and stays, I still feel horrible. It's usually the new employees who go. Those are the ones with fresh ideas. Yes, they may eat fruit in meetings but they work hard. Added to the list is long-term employees who are high performers but work in an area that needs to be reduced.

It's more difficult this time because there is nowhere else to go. These people get a severance and a future of uncertainty. Thanks for your service, Merry Christmas, screw you. They should make a new reunion site for former employees. I think those meetings will take place at the unemployment line.

It's not supposed to happen this way. Get an education and work experience and in exchange you will have security. It's a scary world out there and I'm afraid of how bad it will get before things turn around.

As for my HR department, we are intact for now but the majority of of my coworkers have no idea how many of them will not have jobs soon.

Hopefully I will have a few lighter topics to blog about soon.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

An Open Letter to the Big Kahuna

Dear Kahuna,

There are a few things I would like you to know about your horrific choice of HR Manager Mr. Shit4Brains.

Micromanagers are cancer to a workplace. This guy has taken of group of experienced professionals and turned them into his version of Charlie's Angels.

Does he realize his behavior creates the appearance that he can't trust his staff and is, therefore, a crappy manager? The organization realizes he is a pig from hell but apparently he hasn't gone far enough to get the boot.

Inexperienced managers tend to lack the experience to trust their staff. They NEED to know enough to utilize their resources. They don't have to be the expert in every facet of HR but they do need to know who is their go-to person. This guy won't even go to the resource. He goes to their supervisor to have them deliver the request/barked order/message of lunacy. I don't know if this is his version of "keeping you down" but I do know it is a great example of ineffective management.

HR is the last place for personal wars. Mr. Shit4Brains has a few scores to settle and attempts to use his position to settle them. Leaving out the fact that he really doesn't have power (advisory role of HR), he is outmatched. Additionally, his antics make the rest of us look horrible. Truly, the many strides I have made have been seriously impacted by his actions. The proverbial seat at the table is now the kid's table.

In closing, get rid of this guy before the lawsuits start coming in. I don't want to make threats, but the voodoo doll above could be activated in our next meeting.

All my best,
Pissed off in HR