Did you know that HR professionals can be the target of bullying in an organization because of the role we play? An online study of 102 HR Professionals in Kentucky reported that nearly 32% of them had been the target of bullying. Of those HR Professionals who had reported being bullied it was found that:
- 42% said the bullying included work interference or sabotage
- 33% stated that they were verbally abused
- 24% stated that the bullying was offensive conduct (threats, humiliation or intimidation)
Everyone knows that an HR Professional holds a unique position within an organization. We coach and challenge personnel so that good decisions are made to improve the organization. Sometimes those conversations can be viewed as though we are attacking people and this can give rise to us being bullied.
The main reasons why HR Professionals feel they are targets for bullying are:
- We must often tell managers “no”
- No one fully understands or appreciates what HR Professionals do
- HR Professionals can be viewed as lacking business knowledge
- HR Professionals can lack the credentials or education that would make them a fit within an organization
Unfortunately HR Professionals will more than likely remain the “bad” guys within the organization, but those of us in this field know the important role we play in keeping an organization running smoothly.
