“But who is listening to me?????”

I have always asked a question to many human resource professionals since my college days. The question is: What are the key qualities needed for a successful HR professional?

I have received all kinds of answers; most of them were elaborated and some of them did not make much sense to an undergraduate student who was in the initial stages of getting acquainted with Human Resource Mgmt [ Though ; they did impress me with the sophisticated corporate lingo].

Finally; I received an answer from a very successful HR professional which had a huge impact on me and I took it very seriously. The two qualities he suggested were: Be a good listener & have a good understanding of the business. I expected a long elaborated answer again but what I got here was a very clear and short answer [It makes me believe that it’s synthesis which matters more than analysis].

Since then I have tried my level best to be a keen listener to what people say, feel and what they don’t say and don’t feel at the workplace and elsewhere too.

As far as understanding of business is concerned; my work experience and undergraduate experience did help me but I strongly feel I am in the nascent stage of my learning curve in that context. Hope my Post Graduate experience helps me as I am keenly looking forward to it.

However; I want to write about the listening factor today.

I find all HR professionals to be very keen listeners. They listen to the candidate while conducting the selection process. They listen to the employees during the grievance hearing sessions. They listen to the employees during the performance appraisals. They listen to the employee during the exit interview. They listen to every people and talent related issues concerning the workplace. Most importantly they are keenly listening if they are doing their job well enough.

Assuming the fact that all HR professionals in a given company are working well enough [ I mean listening well enough!!!] ; then a natural question arises in my mind.

Who is listening to these HR professionals???????????

Don’t the HR professionals also need an outlet to be heard properly????????

I do know that HR professionals are required to listen and provide the solutions but sometimes solutions might not be the solution. In the quest of balancing the company’s interest and personal aspirations, there might not be any pragmatic solution available and the situation might require some deep and keen listening.

But who is going to listen to them???????????

Are the employees going to listen to them??????

Well I find it strange that even though the employees are given the status of ‘internal customer’ in a company; still there is nothing like an ‘appreciation letter’ between the so called ‘internal customers’ and the HR team. The only thing which exists in opulence is the ‘complaint letter’. Being an impractical optimistic person I will not rule out the probability of the internal customers being a keen listener to the HR team though.

HR professionals are expected to listen and perform. That’s the integral part of their job. But the internal customers of the company have to be made realize the importance of being good listeners too. Being a good listener to the HR dept would help the HR team and the internal customers all the more.

I guess it’s time that every company launches a program called ‘Let’s Listen’.

If you are a human resource superstar of your company reading this article and is interested in launching the ‘Let’s Listen’ program then please do so but give me the due credit and visibility for it. I need it desperately as I am preparing for my PG entrance exams.

Happy Listening and Happy Labour Day
-Saikat Saha
[A wannabe HR superstar]