Human resources – it sounds pretty serious, but that is because it is. Plenty of us have been in a situation at work where we have needed a third impartial party to intervene with an issue or manage a situation, and for the companies where there has not been one, you can imagine the difficulties that both the employees and the employers faced trying to manage conflict, find resolutions, and keep everything running smoothly within the whole team.
That being said, this is not the only reason why you should have a HR team within your business. There are plenty of benefits to having a HR department in your company, which is why you should keep on reading this piece to find out why you cannot forgo this branch of resources at your disposal.
Getting the Right Person Through the Door
An important part of HR is the recruitment process. After all – what is a company without its employees? Though it is different in every company, human resources often have a significant hand in the recruitment process. This can start off with important preludes such as performing reference and background checks on potential employees, sifting through applicants for available positions, arranging and scheduling interviews, and also going through the interview process to make sure applicants are a good fit for the role. Based on all the information gathered, they will then make recommendations to company hiring managers.
Keeping on Top of Legal and Regulatory Rules
When it comes to business, making sure you and the company are compliant with rules and regulations could be the most important difference between your business running as smoothly as possible, and getting into some very hot water with the law. Neglecting to keep up to date with certain business laws or being ignorant as to what is expected of a company often does not hold up in court as a reason for breaking the law, though that being said, it can be an arduous task for a company owner who already has so much to do. This is why having a human resources team can help insure you do not miss a beat when it comes to the legalities of your business, leaving you free to do the things only you can do to help run and grow your business.
Nurtures and Maintains Company Culture
The culture of your company and work force is not something that can just be ignored, or left to grow and define itself on its own – not if you want to have any input as to how you would like it to be. It is often easy to forget that we are, in fact, working with humans who have their own views, perceptions, personal lives and ways of approaching things, and while this can sometimes be a difficulty, it is also what makes an office wonderfully diverse and alive with different ideas. Sure, if you could have machines working for you they might not call in sick last minute, book three weeks of holiday in one go, or keep clashing with another colleague, but what you get in return is something much more magical.
Nurturing and maintaining a positive company culture could very well be one of the most difficult parts of running a business, as no two people are the same. In an ideal world, HR will have an excellent idea about the current company culture or the desired one, and will take that into consideration during recruiting to make sure there is a good fit for both the applicant and the team.
That being said, circumstances can change and having a team step in to help navigate these changes is worth its weight in gold. We all hear “teamwork makes the dream work” and while that is true in many cases, it is important to understand how employees contribute to that teamwork and in a way that is suitable for them. Human resources will be able to step in and listen to any complaints or suggestions and will also be able to help with a resolution if there is conflict in the office.
It is easy to think that workplace culture is just a nice consequence, but work culture is often the reason companies are able to retain their staff, have higher rates of job satisfaction, and ultimately defines the success of the business.
External and Internal Communications
Communications are a crucial part in every business, and while it would be the most beneficial for everyone in the company to have outstanding communication skills, your human resources department will be the ones who are having conversations outside of the business, and inside between employees and management. They are there to bridge a gap which can help with misunderstandings, improve both client to employee, employee to employee communications, and help build solid foundations for a structure that works for everyone involved. Consider HR Outsourcing so you can pick the best company for the job – having a third party as your human resources service can also be really beneficial, as there will be potential for less bias, more impartial perspectives, and more distance from any situations that arise.
Facilitating Learning and Progression Development
Human resources can provide various trainings and learning materials to help your employees develop while on the job. These opportunities help to provide engagement within their roles and increase overall satisfaction.
A professional HR team will understand how to approach different styles of learning and understanding for different employees, which will only serve to enable them to thrive in the same environment as each other and encourage teams to work together well. This is much cheaper than an occupational psychologist and is also a great preventative means of employees getting stuck, left behind, or feeling like they are unable to ask for help. Outsourcing HR can also provide a neutral ground for those who might be struggling, which can be a great mediator before things start to slip. Focusing on your employees’ strengths and not their weaknesses can only build a better business for everyone involved.
