Getting feedback
When trying to develop a winning HR team within a business, it’s very important to understand how the HR function is perceived within the business. A simple way of doing this is to set up a system for acquiring regular feedback for the HR team, with a focus on how well employees feel they are looked after within the business, and generally how happy they are with the HR team and any issues they may have.
Having an understanding of how a business perceives it’s HR team, will ultimately allow the team to develop and become more useful and well-received.
Know the law
There will be many times within most businesses when an issue arises for HR to deal with, which requires a full and comprehensive understanding of the related laws. It is therefore crucial for the HR team to be fully knowledgeable of all and any related laws which may arise in relation to a work-related issue.
These can include laws around working hours, staff dismissals, harassment in the workplace, and much more. Acting on a work-related incident without a full understanding of the law can result in the problem becoming much bigger.
Buddy up new recruits with existing employees
Starting as a new employee in any business can be a little daunting for many people. It can also be a little difficult to get to grips with how things work, in terms of business functions, processes, and systems. A good idea to help improve things in this area is to buddy up new hires with existing employees who have been at the company for some time.
This will allow for an easier onboarding process for new hires and give them a sense of wellbeing at an uncertain time. It also allows new hires to fit in a little easier over the first few weeks.
Centralize HR documentation
For any team within a business, it is immensely beneficial to have the teams’ documentation centralized within a specific suite of software, not least for ease of access but also to allow them to work more effectively. Sales and marketing teams use such systems, like Hubspot for example. The same can be done for HR teams, with options such as CIPHR HR software.
Using centralized data for teams within a business not only allows for ease of access and collaboration but also helps teams to work more efficiently and be more productive.
Hire based on personality, as well as expertise
When recruiting for a new role within a business, it’s important to make sure any prospective candidate has the right skills and experience for the role. However, what can be equally important is that they have the right personality, which can often be overlooked in the hiring process.
Roles that require high levels of concentration and focus, such as accounting roles, will require an employee who isn’t easily distracted and perhaps doesn’t mind working in such a way. Roles that are more people-focused will likely benefit from extravert personalities and should be hired for as such.
Prioritize employee engagement
Employee engagement is one of the largest factors in how happy and productive a workforce is likely to be, and should therefore never be overlooked or sidelined. Consider introducing a process for measuring and improving employee engagement in order to get the most out of your team, and ensure employee churn is low.
Engaged employees are almost always more productive, but more importantly, they are less likely to be unhappy at work and seeking a new role elsewhere.
Keep employees engaged with the help of online employee engagement platforms like Empuls.
Have clear HR policies
HR policies are the cornerstone of any HR department, but simply having them is not enough. All HR policies should be clear in what they mean, and how they are communicated to the wider business and its employees.
If a member of the team is unclear on a policy, such as a holiday pay, this can result in problems for both the team member and the business, which could have been otherwise avoided by having a clear and full HR policy for such a matter.
Hire candidates who match the business values
Most successful businesses have a list of values that they like their employees to adhere to. It, therefore, makes sense that any new hires appear to match these values, even if only on the first inspection.
For a business that is built around being the best and going the extra mile to get the job done, a nine-to-fiver probably isn’t going to be the best fit. Be sure to include questions in the interview process which try to understand whether a new hire is a good fit for the business, not only in terms of skills and experience but also their values and how they match the business.
Don’t be afraid of flexi-time and remote working
Many businesses are still afraid to embrace policies around flexi-time and remote working, which can be a real turn-off not only to existing employees but also potential new hires. In 2024, most successful and forward-thinking businesses have some form of flexi-time or remote working policy in place, as it makes sense for both the employee and the business.
Be sure that any policy for flexi-time or remote working is clear and understood by the business.
Invest in training
Training is one area of the business that should never be overlooked. Businesses that invest in the training of their employees are businesses that will succeed in the long run. Offering training to your staff not only enables them to do their job more effectively, but also gives them a sense that the business is willing to invest in them, and therefore values them as individuals.
