If you work in HR you deal in advice. So how do you get operational managers to accept your advice and how do  managers decide whether to take it or ignore it?

You may be under the impression that operational managers are obliged accept your advice even when they don’t like it because you speak on behalf of the organisation and to ignore your advice would make them vulnerable should their actions blow up.

But some managers will take the view that it’s advice and therefore they can accept it or reject it. Which is true but means they are taking responsibility for their actions and the out come. You have to respect them for that.

Other managers  act without consulting HR because they know what they intend to do would not be sanctioned. Their philosophy is better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Which is either brave or foolish. And then there are those who say, I want to do this is that ok? It probably isn’t .Well not the way they are proposing to go about it but what they really want is for HR to say “yes “ thus having  covered their backs if it goes wrong. They would have been better saying to HR this is what I want to achieve how should I go about it ( so as not to expose myself to a potential grievance or the organisation to an unfair dismissal claim ) .

Finally there are those who go round each member of the HR team asking for “advice” (but in reality  they seek the ok to do something a bit iffy ) until they get the “ advice” they want . Then when it results in a formal complaint they say ,” well HR said it was ok”.

The most effective and successful managers build up a relationship with HR of mutual respect and trust. The HR teams that are most influential are the ones who understand the business objectives, they know where managers are coming from and they can be very creative when working with those they trust and respect.