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Hi all!  Long time no see.  Got an issue, and because you all have such great points of view, I'm hoping to get a little advice.

In May I took a job as the HR Manager for a nursing home.  I had a brief hiatus for maternity leave but have been back for 4 months now.  I'm just now delving into the culture of this place and where things can improve for the employees.

The big issue is the CEO.  I don't know what her deal is, personally I think she is insecure in her position.  Her way of dealing with things is to try to make any subordinates feel like idiots in order to make herself the smartest person in the room.  I personally have been on the receiving end of her comments as well as observed her doing the same to director levels as well as front line staff such as payroll clerks.  She is also very "fake" in her manner and tends to stick her nose into everythiing (although she professes not to be a micromanager).  Since I have been here she has fired one director and two others have left.  The fired director did need to go however I don't like how she went about it.  She will ask my opinion of something, and when I give it then spends time telling me the reasons I am wrong; etc.

I am conducting a written employee survey and there is a question that reads "I can voice my concerns without risking my job".  The overwhelming response disagrees with this statement, and since the survey was distributed several people have approached me to say that they fear for their job if they say anything or complain; that they are afraid to write comments in the space provided because they think someone will recognize their handwriting.  In addition, before I took the position, the HR office was moved from a private corridor to an office directly across the hall from the CEO's office and I now hear that employees are afraid to come speak with me because of where the office is located and because the CEO has been seen to enter my office and shut the door directly after an employee leaves (presumably to find out what the employee was saying--and in some cases this does in fact happen).

I am trying to cultivate an atmosphere where employees can feel that they can come to me for anything.  CEO has said that I am not the appropriate person for employees to "vent" to; I fought her on that and said that employees need to have someone they feel safe confiding in and a listening ear and I am willing to do that for our employees.

Sorry this is so long and if you've made it this far thank you.  The short story is that I need to address several things with this CEO and need a way to go about it that won't get me fired.  A) that she is itimidating to employees and that belittling them and laughing in their faces (this was told to me today) is making employees fear for their jobs; and B) that in order to be an effective employee advocate, I need to move my office to a more confidential location.  Any suggestions?

It seems to me that you have already fully identified the problem, as well as some methods of dealing with it.  The HR Manager is DEFINITELY the person who employees are supposed to be able to come to when they are having issues and problems on the job, even if it is with the CEO.  She is 100% wrong to come into your office and 3rd degree you immediately after a meeting with another employee.  She knows what kind of impression she is making.  It seems to me that she is doing these things on purpose, because I doubt that she became CEO by being a complete idiot.  She knows exactly what she is doing.  Is it possible for you to lock your office door after a meeting for a while and not answer your phone if you know she is calling?  If she asks, explain to her that you are wrapping up your notes or whatever and you prefer not to be disturbed immediately after a meeting.

You should also document everything, and lock the files if you need to.  Issue a memo regarding the mission of the Human Resources office to everyone and state explicitly that all information will be kept confidential.  Do you have a copy of any kind of Human Resources policy (i.e. in an employee handbook) that explains how to deal with this type of thing?  Include that in your memo.  

Next, is there anyone that you and/or employees can contact outside of your office (i.e. Corporate Headquarters), to go around this CEO?

I'm sorry to say it, but it looks like you will eventually get fired yourself sooner or later.  This CEO seems as if she is doing everything she can to make things difficult for everyone so she can get rid of everyone and start over from scratch with a hand-picked staff of cow-tow-ers and rear end kissers.  Sorry.  Makes for a very negative work environment, I know.

Rr

Bit of a tricky one!  I used to work for a big company who used the HR people & appraisal system to hit you over the head at bonus time. Having said that there were some excellent HR people who made voicing concerns a lot easier!

Firstly I'd make yourself available and approachable at all functions and get togethers.  If necessary commandeer a meeting room away from the CEO's office - possibly on the basis of it being a drop in session?

Secondly, is there a way to make the surveys less traceable (e.g. use an online survey)?  Once you have this info it will be easier to confront your CEO and suggest your solutions to the problem.  

Specific issues with the CEO are harder to deal with - is there any reason for her feeling insecure?  Would training help?  

Good luck!

The CEO in any organisation, great or small is rather like the conductor of an orchestra - they may not be able to play the individual instruments, but they sure are responsible for the sound that comes out of them.  They often have to make tough decisions, and it can be unpleasant having to fire someone.  

Just because no-one likes this lady does not mean that she is wrong.  What seems wrong to you may, in fact, be right.  I have worked with three very different Chief Executives in my organisation.  The first one had to make extremely painful decisions with respect to re-organizing the staff structure, moving offices, implementing new employment contracts and policies.  She left after three-and-a-half years, and we are still in touch with each other. The second one had a somewhat unfortunate manner.  She shouted at people, was rude, wanted to "encourage" people to leave etc etc.   She had wonderful business acumen, and quickly pinpointed the weaknesses in the organization, but she couldn't implement the changes she wanted to and left after six months.  No-one liked her.  She was rather unpleasant to me, but with the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had got to know her better.  I know she had the best interests of the organization at heart. So, you see, everyone has their good points.

These are just comments from my own small experience.  So, with respect to your particular situation ...

This lady does sound very insecure.  A CEO who is quite so insecure generally won't last long. It is difficult to be courteous to such a person as you describe, but that is what being a professional is all about.  You need to bide your time here and be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove, but you are going to be very busy.

I am sure you are endeavouring to fulfill all your professional obligations to the letter and keep notes/copies of everything.  If you have even the smallest issue to discuss with this person, back it up with an email afterwards, or a file note to yourself.   Keep a small diary of the contact you have with the CEO.  You can bet your bottom dollar that she is not doing the same (mostly because she is too busy interfering).

With respect to your colleagues, you can send out a clear, unambiguous message that everything they say to you is in strict confidence.  At the same time you will convey to your colleagues that you do not encourage gossip or anything that smacks of mutiny.  Confiding in you is one thing; taking sides is quite another! Your job is to help your colleagues, but also to be neutral.  Your ultimate loyalties lie with yourself and your company. If, on the other hand, the CEO is doing something that compromises the clinical services to residents, or contravenes employment legislation, then you have to take different action.

This CEO is not likely to be the owner of the nursing home.  She is probably responsible to a board of trustees, or shareholders.  You should make use of the management structure to your advantage.  

You COULD try to get the CEO on board, so to speak, by involving her in planning i.e. seeking to involve her in improving working conditions etc (on the lines of "I know you want the very best for staff, because happy staff are more productive").

I'm sure you have done all of this already, but these are just my small thoughts on this situation.

Best wishes,

Raindance

Thank you everyone for your insight.  The structure of the company is 185 employees, majority nursing employees, with department heads (nursing, HR, food services etc.) reporting directly to the CEO who reports to a board of trustees.  We currently do not have internal email, only dial-up internet access to get to our webmail accounts, which only 5 of us have.  Someone alluded to her starting over by handpicking people--I am actually one of the hand-picked.  The last HR person was asked to retire early because of gross mishandling of the office (of which I have seen proof).  Interesting.

Raindance--in many cases, I don't think this CEO is wrong.  She has brought the organization from 40+ "tags" on a state survey to 3 in the four years she has been in the position.  However, five of seven direct reports have been replaced in that time.  Not all of them have been terminated, but the impression in the office is that they have, and that she's "picking them off".  The perception is if you get on her bad side, you are gone.  It just happens that the people who do get on her bad side are poor performers.  Other employees just don't see it.  Case in point--a Director who was consistently several thousand dollars over budget in the 3-year tenure, had rampant sexual harassment going on in the department, was not communicative nor courteous to other departments, etc. etc.--yet he was a nice guy so when he was fired there was an uproar.

Thanks again everyone, you've given me much to think about.  2006 is a new year and I'm ready for success in this position.

But what are you going to do to help foster a secure environment in which employees feel that they can come to you (or whomever it is they are supposed to go to) without feeling as if they are risking their jobs?  I thought that was your major concern, as you were speaking about this CEO's behavior causing people to feel nervous (her coming into your office immediately after am employee meeting, etc.)  

Rr

This situation is somewhat similar to the one that existed in a company I worked for at one time.

It had a truly Dickensian management structure - not apparent at interview or in the company literature.  The organisation was riddled with laziness, unprofessionalism, racism, sexism and probably every sort of "ism" you can think of.  Staff didn't even have proper contracts or employment policies.  My boss at the time, newly-recruited as I was, had been recruited specifically to make changes.  She was extremely unpopular, and so was I by association.  It took over three years for her to change things.  We moved offices, and forty per cent of the staff left in the first year.  The staff who left, in most cases SHOULD have left.  It was a rather painful time.  Eventually, my boss left to take up a post with a higher profile, but she left behind a very different company than the one she took on - one in which the staff were, finally, motivated, enthusiastic and properly rewarded.

Your CEO may face some of the same difficulties.  It isn't easy to be charming in those sorts of circumstances, and sometimes things can become very messy.

I hope that 2006 is a really productive year for you, Laura.

Best wishes,

Raindance

Thanks again Raindance.  Sounds very similar to your situation.  To update:

I have been proactive with employees and have had success with front line staff coming to me and not fearing for confidentiality.  Slowly but surely building up trust levels.  Have not been successful in moving the location of my office, but there are bigger changes in the works regarding restructuring that should take care of this issue in time.  Looking 3-5 months ahead I should have a more secluded office space.

I have not addressed the CEO's manners/attitude with her.  Basically, how she manages is how she manages and I am working with it.  In some cases, people really do need to have a thicker skin and I have now been able to see both sides of some of the employee's issues.  In summary, she can be abrasive but not to a level where people should fear for their jobs.

There is a level of paranoia here, because we are turning over into a new year with new goals, and some employees are just not up to par.  I have personally sat in on 12 terminations in the past two months, and they are all employees that were compromising resident safety and/or comfort, spreading a negative attitude, sexually harassing other employees, or downright not qualified to do their jobs.  So other employees are worried (and some rightfully so).  Once the "restructuring" dies down, I believe the atmosphere will calm.

I don't envy the CEO her position.  She is definitely insecure but seems to be doing the best she can, and the results prove her success so far.  After a heart-to-heart meeting I'm confident she supports me in my endeavors.

Onward....

Sometimes, "bonding" sessions of various sorts are helpful in these situations.  We employed a management consultant who has helped staff (and our Council) address future strategy.  I find that when people feel they have ownership of decisions, and feel their ideas and opinions are listened to, then planned changes are not perceived as being quite so threatening.

Raindance