between HR and EAP

[careercargo]

I hope this question is appropriate, but I'm genuinely looking for some honest advice. It's difficult to get any good insight that I can trust.

Essentially, I consult in the space/gap between a business's HR section and the EAP psychologist. For example, HR staff recommending a staff member to go see the organisation's external provider, however not all complex staff problems/issues mean that staff member needs referral to an independent psych for support. They may, for example, just need to air their grievances to an independent party (like myself) get an alternate narrative and be monitored. This is were I fit in.

My question to the buzzers is, after years of doing this I'd like to understand from a HR perspective the benefits for HR staff or the challenges to using this type of intervention? I ask as it's always difficult to get HR to understand the benefits of what I do. Maybe it's my delivery? Any insight would be grateful.
Dave

[Qld IR Consultant]

Dave, being unsure how you market yourself makes it difficult to give you a completely straight answer. I must say however that you do fill a very good "gap". Sometimes employees don't want to talk to HR or IR, nor do they feel they need to speak to the EAP provider. So in terms of "someone neutral to vent too" you offer a unique service. Perhaps some of the HR Generalists in the forum could answer more directly, but from and IR perspective you would have saved me some heartache in the past

[pettitj]

Dave,

You're right, there is often a real need for capacity to have an alternative approach prior to EAP. The State Service Authority in Victoria have been doing some great work in training conflict resolution coaches and have developed a resource book called Developing Conflict Resiliant Workplaces ( available on their website). When we have been able to use these workplace coaches we have avoided far more costly procedures down the line and have been seen as very valuable by the business areas, When it involves workplace conflict alternative approaches are very valuable.

[careercargo]

Thanks for your that. Qld IR, my marketing comes from referral and this is not a great way to promote a service or expand on things. Any suggestions, e.g. does Linkedin work and how?
Pettij - that's interesting that VIC do this. I'm not sure if we do anything like that in Qld. That said, I work in some really toxic environments where a comfy counselling style is quickly picked up on and you'd know it. I come from a trade background and approach things in a very black and white manner. I generally need to, to gain the confidence of the client(s) quickly, for example, if the organisation is taking forever to make change decisions and therefore staff are getting annoyed and worst - I tend to not play down that aspect. As it is a fact, and tends to be a growing image of some industries - procrastinating.

I call myself a Vocational Workplace Counsellor, as this is what I do. I'd be interested to know if there are more people like me who work in this blue collar space?