Support Group for Ex-HR People?

The company at which I am Culture & Development Director (which includes culture, employee engagement, development AND all the HR responsibilities) was purchased in February, and as of May 1, we are now fully their employees and my responsibilities for payroll, unemployment, benefits, 401(k), all that, now fall on the parent company.   I am struggling to adjust to just being a middle man whom my original company reaches out to to get information from the HR contact at the new company. 

In addition, I also covered all IT responsibilities, and the parent company has hired an IT person to service us, which we'd never had before.  In this instance, now I just forward the employees to this new IT person.

If you have been in HR for even a year or two, something in you sympathizes with me.  After 7 years, I am finding it very, very hard to not be able to get the answer myself.  Now I am wondering if the parent company will even think I am important enough to keep, now that I only cover culture, employee engagement and development - a role that they have never had.

Frankly - it's hard giving up that HR power, especially against your own will!  Is there anyone else who has faced this situation and who wants to have a candid convo about being demoted to middle man?  I would literally run an Ex-HR Support Group if I had even two other people who would benefit from being able to let off a little steam and reassure each other that the intangibles that we do are just as important as payroll and benefits.

1reply Oldest first
  • Oldest first
  • Newest first
  • Active threads
  • Popular
  • Hi Susan, I don't have an exact matching experience except to say that I've been through a lot of change in the past few years. The responsibility that you do have over culture, engagement and development are critical, especially for the newly acquired employees, who may be feeling a lot of change as well and wondering what to do about it. Feel free to reach out directly and I would recommend getting out there and networking. You never know the opportunities you will come across just putting yourself out there. jajohnson@strategichrinc.com.

    Like
Like Follow
  • 2 mths agoLast active
  • 1Replies
  • 19Views
  • 2 Following