The HR department tends to be one of the most disliked departments in the organization. As a HR professional, I really couldn’t tell you why, but if I had to guess we probably seem to be like the police; in control of payroll and benefits, enforcing policies, and stepping in when employees give trouble. Persons who run smaller businesses may believe that they can manage their people given that their team is not large. So why do we need HR right? Here’s why:
1. They attract and retain top talent. A well oiled HR machine will ensure that your company attracts the right talent for your team, as well as make sure they stay. How frustrating is it to get several job applications for persons who do not meet your requirements, or will not fit in with your team? Have you ever had to resort to interviewing persons you were not too impressed with, just because you had to get the position filled? If you have been in either or both of these situations, then you can recognize the need for HR professionals to be involved in the recruitment process as opposed to the organization “winging it”. Your employees are the most valuable resources so let HR attract and retain great ones.
2. They encourage employee engagement. In smaller companies, the owner will more than likely be involved in the day to day operations of the business, therefore they won’t have time to focus on keeping employees engaged and motivated. Whether we want to believe it or not, attention must be placed on keeping employees engaged or else you risk losing them. If you notice that you have a high incidence of turnover, you may need to review how your employees feel about working for you or what they need besides a paycheck. Creating employee engagement surveys or programmes geared towards enriching employees’ time with the company requires full time effort from a HR team.
3. They make sure you are compliant. As a business owner, your focus is making profits, marketing your business and staying relevant in today’s ever changing world. As your company grows, so will your team. As the team grows, so will the efforts required to manage your team. The paperwork will increase, reporting requirements will increase, NIS and tax requirements will increase. Are you accurately following the labour laws? Do you have payroll properly set up? Are you prepared to treat with grievances when they come up? Do you have policies in place to guide your staff and your company? These are just some of the pertinent questions for a growing business. You need to ensure that your company is both compliant and running things efficiently. Work together with HR professionals so that they can focus on the people management while you continue to focus on keeping your business prosperous.
The HR team performs a critical advisory and support role for the organization. In addition to recruitment, retention and compliance, HR professionals provide guidance on benefits, policy making and keeping employees engaged. Business owners tend to take this function for granted, but should invest in a sound team to manage their people. By doing so, they can grow their business while growing their team.
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