To feel like my boss/company are taking the p*ss? HR related

[LivingInCheckedMidis]

I'm a HR Administrator in a standalone role. I provide HR support and advice to management across 3 countries (UK, Germany, America). I report directly into the FD (if I called him a hands off boss, that would be being kind) he does not provide much support at all.

When I was recruited, they knew I was a HR administrator but also knew that I was keen to progress. I am on £24k with no bonus etc. I know that's not unusual for HR to not have bonus.

I've been here a year and I'm proud of what I've achieved; I've benchmarked against our competitors and improved our maternity and paternity policy. I've led the COVID-19 policy and internal track and trace. I've implemented a probation review policy which quickly identified roughly 6 underachievers in the business which had to be put on a PIP and were managed out. These are people who, before me would not have been managed out at all as our managers don't know how to manage...

I've created and implemented training courses and delivered them, I've investigated disciplinary and grievances. I've built up strong working relationships with our Senior Management Team and they've all commented on the improvements we've made. These are just a few achievements.

My FD has called me today and said "the board want to see what you've been up to" and you "need to report on turnover, absence, recruitment costs" but not in a nice tone which has set alarm bells ringing. I know they've been looking at reducing headcounts wherever possible and my manager is so hands off, he probably doesn't know what I do but equally isn't interested in the slightest.

I do all of the above, I've reduced our recruitment costs by significant amount and I'm on £25k a year. Some of our admin juniors are on only slightly less and I have responsibility for 3 countries! AIBU to think my fucking FD could take some responsibility off my "HR ADMIN" shoulders.

Sorry, this probably seems like a stupid rant. I'm tired, sad, stressed and feel like they're taking the p*ss, quite frankly. :(

I'd start looking for a new job. Treat the slides you put together for the board on everything you've done (including the metrics they are interested in) as great prep for job interviews because it sounds as though you are hugely underpaid.

That's what I'm doing right now

Don't get me wrong it's great experience and I'm thankful for the opportunity but I'm learning, my FD knew that when he offered me the role. Except in a graduate/junior role some sort of guidance and help is expected!

So you've helped to get six people managed out, and now you're upset that it's being done to you?

No, your FD shouldn’t take HR admin work off the shoulders of an HR admin employee!

I think you’ve done a fabulous job!

But reporting absence / turnover / recruitment costs is pretty standard HR Admin, and you say you’ve done them so... just present them. And add in info on the fuckton more than you’ve done.

You’re underpaid - so take what you’ve done and use it to get another job! It’s their loss.

Your FD doesn’t sound like a great manager (understatement) but I think you’re letting your legitimate gripes about being underpaid, and his rubbish management of you, get in the way of what’s actually a reasonable instruction.

Wow you’re not an administrator you are an HR officer at least if not more. Have you a job description? Does it need looking at? Does it accurately reflect your role. You’re HR! You know the answer to these things really? Imagine you are advising your own line manager about yourself!
Where are you in the country?

NHS salary you’d be on about what you describe for what you are doing to be fair. Maybe £5 more.
Are you qualified? CIPD?

@tectonicplates what a weird response. If people are underachieving after being put on a lengthy and in depth training plan with all reasonable support and they're still underperforming... what are businesses supposed to do? Employ them indefinitely until they get bored? in one of the cases the employee actually said "sorry I was late to the meeting, I was having a nap"

What they are asking you is pretty standard, as you have done above and beyond what seems to be expected at your level, it's positive you get a chance to showcase that. Managed 6 people out though, for that number to be underperforming I would have have questions around the training and support in place, rather than be gleeful at managing them out in a pandemic, but each to their own.

@LivingInCheckedMidis

That's what I'm doing right now

Don't get me wrong it's great experience and I'm thankful for the opportunity but I'm learning, my FD knew that when he offered me the role. Except in a graduate/junior role some sort of guidance and help is expected!

Why? What guidance and help was needed? Because unless you’re bullshitting what you achieved in your first year, you didn’t need it. I work in a company that has a very hands off culture for actively helping - they recruit people who love to jump in and lead from the off - but have a good open door culture when you do need something. It sounds like you wanted more input than he provided - but you don’t say if you raised that?

Do you think any of the 6 people you helped to manage out just needed some “guidance and help”?

What Palavah said. You're doing a Manager's role for a very average salary. Update your CV & once Covid recedes you can be off. The FD isn't really going to have the relevant HR knowledge to supervise you tbh. If you can account for & show everything you've achieved you'll be fine.

They just need to see justification that your role is worth the money they are spending on it. Reports about headcounts, turnover etc. are standard for someone in your position - the only surprise is that you haven't been providing them unasked.

See this as an opportunity to present your case as to why it's worth their money keeping you employed. Your "managing out" comment shows that you are keenly aware that staff who are not representing value for money should be let go of, so why would it be any different for you? Just because you feel that you are providing them good value for money doesn't mean they do - here's a chance to let them know.

I’m with tectonicplates. I think boasting about getting people fired is distasteful. Hopefully it isn’t what is happening to you.

I'm sorry if it seemed like I'm boasting about managing six people out, without context it sounds harsh. One of the objectives when I joined was to assist in implementing performance improvement plans as management were struggling with this and it was affecting day to day work. We employ a lot of people so 6 people is only a small amount of our workforce. We gave them achievable targets, reasonable support and a lot of time to improve on basic duties. Its a reflection on the poor management we've got.

External training has been arranged but due to cost it's been postponed until next year to help managers with these issues.

I am CIPD level 3 qualified and currently studying level 5 in the evenings. I've just felt really lost this past few months and needed my FD to provide some support but he always cancels our meetings.

You are probably right however I wouldn't be annoyed, Instead I would use this as an opportunity for you to shine a spotlight on all of the work that you do. Pay particular attention to verbs you use ' Manage, strategise, Developed and Delivered etc. Your manager is doing you a favour to highlight your achievements. Worst case scenario its excellent prep for your next interview.

You are underpaid as your job title does not reflect the level of HR responsibility you have. However, monthly reporting on HR information is standard to prove you are a value adding function. Once you have this data and a report detailing what else you have done (as you advised in your post above) can you arrange a meeting to negotiate a change to your role and salary?

I do find it curious that someone in HR would say their manager probably doesn’t know what they do. It’s our poor HR team that are always trying to get us to keep our reviews scheduled, reminding us that appraisals are our responsibility, not our manager’s!
Physician, heal thyself

Treat this for what it has been - a great opportunity to prove yourself in a role you weren’t experienced for previously - and move on to better things!

Well - better paid things... in terms of a role, it sounds like you’ve had a good level of autonomy and exposure to senior management, and allowed to lead things that another company might not have trusted you with yet. All good!

I've done a lot for employee wellbeing as well, I've carried out stress audits and implemented an EAP. I've instigated the maternity/paternity pay review, pushed for permanent hybrid working. Our management team tried to force people back so roles that didn't need to be office based could WFH permanently.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm bragging. I have done work on the flip side also

Well, you sound underpaid to me anyway. Apply for some other jobs, see what’s out there?

Sounds like you are doing a proactive and excellent job. As others have said, use the efficiency metrics for the board report as a way of highlighting the more strategic capability build work you have been undertaking. It's also an opportunity to lay out what you think the priorities need to be and the resources that would be needed to address these. Taking a mid term strategic view elevates you way above the hr officer position - where your fd should support is in helping you identify the strategic direction of the business and the risks to achieving that - either in terms of employee / organisation capability or engagement. He should also be a great support in creating the business case to mitigate these risks.
Anchor your achievements against the business strategy and you won't go far wrong. Good luck!

Your entire OP is basically, “look at how fucking amazing I am” - and you know, that’s lovely to read!

Then you slip in later in thread that you’ve been feeling lost for months.

When your FD was cancelling calls, was being doing so with the person I saw in the first post? The person who sounds like they don’t need a high level of support?

I certainly wouldn’t be telling my boss that I felt lost. But how forthright have you been about needing direction? Does the FD think they’re cancelling tick box meetings, or have you told them that you need their input into objective setting? Sounds like you’ve run out of the the original objectives, and you don’t know what to do next. I’d make my new initiative one of looping HR into the annual 1/5/10 year business planning sessions!

You sound like a well rounded Generalist - I would employ you

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I’m bragging”

Lose that attitude!

You achieve something, then speak up!

Echo what others have said. Reporting out on some of the ‘hard’ HR metrics in a report, dashboard etc isn’t unusual, so don’t feel slighted that you’ve been asked for this. Often doing it regularly (e.g. quarterly) helps track trends and improvements as well. But if you can also include some of the value add pieces as well, e.g. what else has been delivered and the impact (like the recruitment savings), then that all helps demonstrate the value you are bringing to the company. But be explicit about the ‘why’ - so why was it good to enhance your family policies etc.

I would try to negotiate at least a change in job title to help set you up for your next role. Managing all HR in those countries is not an easy task - especially with 3 very different employment landscapes, legislation wise.

If you’re not already a member, the CIPD community forum is a great place for support on matters like this. Not that MN isn’t also great! But there are lots of very knowledgable and helpful CIPD members who are always willing to lend a hand, and may have examples of the types of reports out they do in their board/ organisation.

You've done fantastically! Start tooting at that meeting - refer every change you've made to the bottom line (costs saved)

And schedule a meeting to ask for a very substantial pay rise - to £45-£50k

Stop apologising. You must raise your profile by emailing boss every time you've completed a high level task.

All that for 25k? No. Not a chance. That’s a 30k-40k role minimum. That’s advisory level at a minimum. (I say that as an HRD)

Sounds like you've been identified as an underachiever and will be put on a PIP and managed out. Maybe your boss is telling another group that this is just one of his many achievements.