Dealing with people problems is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. Human resources professionals are often the unsung heroes of the workplace, especially when a company doesn’t prioritize efforts to recognize and thwart challenging behavior early on. These dedicated individuals work tirelessly behind the scenes to skillfully manage everything from minor inconveniences to major crises, and ensure that the company operates smoothly. When those in-house HR professionals are overexerted or don’t exist (which is constantly), we find ourselves having to take on the role of HR Fixer.
As fractional HR consultants, we’re often called in to help when problems grow beyond the expertise of an organization’s HR department or perhaps better handled by an external party. Whether it’s guiding individuals through unfamiliar tasks, mediating employee conflicts, tackling compliance issues, or delving into misconduct investigations, the life of a fractional HR Consultant is anything but mundane. Sometimes it feels a little bit like we’re George Clooney in Michael Clayton. We come in and fix problems where companies need more support than they can handle on their own (albeit usually with a slightly less dramatic plot line).
In general, cleaning up people problems is foundationally what any HR fixer does. And usually, people problems can only be fixed in one of three ways. Problems can be prevented proactively with policies and guidelines on issues such as diversity and employee engagement. They can be solved retroactively with conflict resolution and corrective action. Or they can often be addressed actively with investigations and intervention of ongoing problems before they have a chance to escalate.
As HR strategists, we have learned to address situations with a strategic approach, a holistic view, and a transparent process. This enables employees to engage and participate in the solution, as if it were their own, helping them learn how to implement new systems and procedures to foster long-term success.
Here, we’ll share three stories from our HR archives, showing how problems can affect company culture and how we, as HR fixers, handled them to keep things running smoothly.
The AWOL Director
In a case a few years back, we encountered a challenging scenario where a director unexpectedly disengaged from critical client responsibilities. This left projects hanging in the balance, unearned revenue on the books, and direct report employees who didn’t have a clue where to turn.
Instead of making a rash decision, the executive team opted to bring us in and let us handle it. A classic HR fixer strategy, we opted to open a dialogue without rushing to judgment. Recognizing that the director’s disengagement might stem from a variety of factors, we initiated an open conversation to explore their perspective and thoughts on the project. Our goal was to uncover the root cause of the director’s disengagement and to explore potential solutions collaboratively.
We ultimately identified that the director, while immensely talented, was going through a serious life event and didn’t want to share details with his colleagues. In other words, he was in crisis. First and foremost, we helped him to get the help he needed. Then worked to steady the ship by redirecting the team to another director temporarily, while the director receiving help. The employees got the answers they needed, the clients received their projects a little behind schedule, the director received the help he needed and the Executive Director was very happy.
By reframing the conversation from punishment to actively investigating and problem-solving, we facilitated a resolution using a holistic approach that emphasized transparency, empathy, communication, and mutual understanding.
The Junior HR Manager
In another instance, we encountered a situation where a company was on the brink of employing 50 people.
If you are not aware, this milestone carries significant legal implications, with many federal and state-specific laws coming into play. The Family Medical Leave Act, for instance, brings many new requirements for employees. OSHA and workers’ compensation regulations kick into effect, necessitating updates to the company handbook. Other federal laws, such as the Affordable Care Act, also come into effect, adding unimaginable complexity and pressure to an inexperienced HR team’s list of responsibilities.
The HR department at one such company was managed by someone fairly new to the field, who did not know the significance of the milestone. Fortunately, her boss recognized the consequence of such a milestone and decided to bring us in. There are many potential challenges and nuances of navigating these legal requirements. However, having made this transition for other companies many times, we were able to step in, provide guidance and direction to a small team that would have otherwise been completely up the creek.
Through tailored assistance and education, we empowered the young HR manager to navigate this exciting change with confidence and competence. By proactively addressing the legal implications and providing the necessary tools and knowledge, we helped ensure a smooth transition.
The Contentious Co-Workers
On a recent project, we were faced with the challenge of a contentious interpersonal conflict in the workplace, exacerbated by the potential of a racial claim. Threats of legal action or complaints to state and federal agencies, such as the EEOC, further escalated the situation, leaving both employees and the employer at a loss for how to address the issue effectively.
You guessed it, they called in the HR Fixer. As fractional HR consultants, we know it’s crucial to handle such conflicts with the utmost of care. Instead of reacting rashly, we focused on resolving the issues and adhering to relevant laws and internal policies. We encouraged open discussions to understand each employee’s perspective and addressed any underlying problems.
Without getting into too much of the sensitive details about the situation, we can say we were able to resolve the matter fairly quickly by dispelling any miscommunications and misunderstandings. The two gentlemen both went on to continue working at the company in separate facilities. We won’t say they are the best of friends, but they now get along as effective team members, and the animosity that others would have to tip-toe around is now gone. Clearly this was a retroactive solution to a problem that had already gone off the rails. However, we also ensured there was diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias training to help promote a positive and safe work environment for everybody, moving forward.
Facts can’t be changed — but HR problems can be fixed
HR problems present themselves in a variety of forms. There are different perspectives, motivations, assumptions, emotions, and politics at play from every angle.
Not only is fixing situations like this a complex responsibility, but for someone without the experience of knowing how to handle certain personalities and highly-charged topics, it can be downright impossible.
As experienced fractional HR consultants, we can attest to the importance of proactive intervention and prevention. Ideally, we strive to create workplaces where issues are nipped in the bud or prevented altogether. Our role as HR Fixer may not be quite as life-or-death as Michael Clayton’s dramatic storylines. That’s ok, we’ll take a steady and balanced workplace over noxious and chaotic any day of the week. Preferably with as few people problems as we can get.
Call the HR fixer before it’s too late!
Ok, we’ve had some fun with the idea of a dramatic fixer personality who comes in and saves the day. But, people problems become a very real concern when a company does not have the human resources to handle them in house.
Whether you’re grappling with existing problems, want to keep things from getting worse, or aiming to proactively prevent issues from popping up in the first place, entrusting an expert HR fixer can make all the difference. At the very least, you should give us a call. What do you have to lose? I assure you, the alternative is worse.
