Four easy ways to win at HR

Human resource management is one of the hardest areas of a business to get right. Because you are dealing with people as opposed to products or numbers it needs to be something that has a heart. You can get all the process and procedures right, but if the heart and the human element is missing then it will fall flat. Most employees would rather have genuine human interactions with their HR people over efficiency. Granted, a combination of the two is the best, but finding that balance can be difficult. If you are in the HR game, then here are a few tips to help you win; some simple ways to let your staff know that you care and to ensure that as a result you get better productivity from them.

Keep them healthy

There is nothing quite as frustrating to management as high absenteeism – particularly if it is a result of illness. So, take this into account and come up with strategies to curb sickness. You could make sure that there is always fresh fruit available for the staff to enjoy. A steady and readily accessible source of vitamin C is bound to have a positive effect on overall health. Or perhaps you can investigate a corporate flu vaccinations programme and arrange to have a nurse come to the premises to dispense shots to your staff. These are little things, but they send big messages. And they stand to help increase productivity significantly.

Parking and travel

If you work in an urban area parking can be a major headache. So, do what you can to encourage your staff to use public transport – perhaps offer subsidised travel cards. This will have positive benefits for your staff but also ecological benefits for the world. And if staff need their own cars then look to provide parking or subsidise it. The last thing you want is your people circling the block for hours waiting for a space to open up.

Expect nothing back

As the HR person it is your job to give and to listen. Don’t expect anything back from the staff, they tend to be entitled and to take things for granted. It is only when there are cut backs or perks can no longer be afforded that they will complain. But that is simply the lot of the HR manager and you will find that you can be a whole lot more caring if you expect nothing back.

Make an early impression

Induction is such an important process because it gives you the opportunity to make an early positive impression. Make sure that everything is right when a new person starts. Their laptop should be ready, if possible there should be an induction bag ready for them – filled with goodies and insights that will help them do the best job possible. Have all the paperwork that is necessary available for them and make sure that they are not lost or kept waiting when they arrive for day one. These are rules that should apply to everyone, no matter who they are within the organization. You must treat the senior executives the same as you treat the janitor – it sends important messages and people will pick up on these.