Feeling lost...need some imput

gtadopt

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-15-03 AT 08:59AM (CST)[/font][p]HR generalist here who recently left a 17 year carreer working for a consulting firm that supported HR functions in small businesses. I'm now employed for 2 months with an engineering firm of 160 employees, and totally overwhelmed. Not only does this company overengineer everything they do, but they assign projects to me that are outside of my body of knowledge. I'm perfectly capable of writing a procedure for this and that, but to have to take that procedure and put it in a form that is acceptable for ISO certification...along with visio flow charts, subsystems, etc? I told the company that I had no ISO experience, yet they consistenly throw projects at me that extend beyond my experience. And this is only one small example of the daily challenges I face. They micromanage EVERYTHING to death. My question is this...is this sort of experience typical for those of you in HR, or is this unique to my firm (and maybe the engineering mentality)?

cebudragonlady

Welcome to the FORUM! I know your feeling. When I arrived here at my employer , they threw everything at me that I had never done before - purchasing, receiving , insurance, finance , layoffs ( on my first day !) - and ALSO had an owner micromanaging every little detail ( he still does!) . I worked like a dog for the first four months to keep my head above water. That is what it took . I just went out and chipped away at those projects, and NEVER took the problems home - nobody gets paid that much! I can't change the owner, he still screams and hollers and insults - so I just do my best .

You can and will survive this!

Chari

LFernandes

Welcome to the Forum!

Ask for training. If you were up front with them about your lack of Visio and they keep giving you projects, stand up to them and say "Look, I'll be more than happy to do the projects, but I could really use some training" and see what they say. If they support you as an employee, they will provide you with the tools necessary to do the job they hired you for. If they say no, I think I'd start looking for another job and chauk it up to experience.

We are all overwhelmed occassionally. Try not to let it get to you. Think of it this way: The piles of work will always be there and you are only one person with 8 hours to complete it in. If it doesn't get done, so be it, you are not a machine. Tomorrow is another day.

Good luck!

LFernandes

Pork

GTABOPT: Welcome to the forum and the HR world. I would bet you started to work in this position, and have never set down and read the job description for the position. Which is not to alarming. I was not told until after I accepted the HR position that it included SAFETY, Risk Management, public relations, employee relations, and primary investigator for all operational personnel issues and conflicts. Since I accepted the position I thought I could review the description, as the "keeper of job descriptions". There were none available, and that became one of my projects. Without more detail information we (forum members) can not judge the totality of your concerns, but it reads similiar to my own. I take orders and understand the company organization and I play their game as best I can. You must have a willing and positive attitude or you might as well "fold your tent and go home", this battle may not be for you!!!

PORK

FLAhr

Gtabopt

Oh I do feel your pain. Family owned business, do more with less for less and MICROMANAGE, blah, blah, blah....

The position I am in was very much misrepresented to me as well. When they started throwing these UNrelated projects at me, I very calmly went to them and told them directly that I could not and would not attempt projects out the realm of my experience without the proper tools and training and that I would not let them set me up to fail!
I insisted they provide me with exact instructions and someone had to make the time to answer my questions and help me along the way.
Tackle one thing at a time, and yes tomorrow will be there for you to forge on.

I wish you the best of luck. Welcome! (ps. I am new too)
V

Balloonman

I guess in some respects I am lucky...........swamped, tons of different hats, knew that going in, but still picked up one or two more hats. Growing company. However, I do not have micro managine bosses. So keep treading water until your feet can touch bottom. 8 hour days? Shame on you lfernandez! I am just kidding I do have the freedom to come and go as I choose, so kids have conference, I early or come in late.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman