Great HR management is essential in any organisation, whether a small enterprise of a handful of people or a global enterprise.
Any organisation is only as good as its people, and business success hinges on not only having the right people in place but ensuring that they are performing to their best potential.
Whether you are an HR Manager, or a CEO or manager who is in charge of a team as part of their job, these tips will help you to get the most out of your employees in order to achieve business success.
Be a Leader
As an HR manager it is important to see yourself as not just a manager, but a leader. What’s the difference, you may ask? Leaders inspire through their own passion, through their actions and coach their team to be better performers, rather than simply telling them what to do.
Being a leader involves motivating your employees through not only incentives and praise, but also by creating a collaborative environment where all members of the team feel they are working towards a shared goal.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Communication is critically important in any workplace situation, and this is especially true when it comes to HR management. Communicate openly with your team to make sure that expectations are clear and that everyone is up to speed.
More than this, as a manager you should encourage open communication. Foster an environment where everyone is encouraged to communicate openly and frequently. Set up both formal and informal communication channels. Formal communication may be in the form of regular staff meetings, check-ins and performance reviews. Informal communication can be encouraged through open door policies, as well as making yourself available for your staff when they need you. Most of all, make sure you really listen to your team!
Give Feedback
Related to communication, but a distinct point is feedback. It is crucial as a HR manager that you give regular, comprehensive and honest feedback to your staff.
This is an area which can sometimes be overlooked by managers who are consumed by issues and problems and forget to tell their employees they are doing a good job. Positive feedback is important to reinforce good performance and let staff know when they are on the right track, as well as keeping your top performers motivated.
On the other hand, it is also important to deal with team members who are not doing such a great job. Poor performance should be addressed as soon as possible with clear feedback, as well as outlining steps that need to be taken going forward. Avoiding addressing these issues can lead to problems snowballing, as well as negatively impacting your top performers.
Be Flexible To Different Working Styles
Any team is made up of distinct individuals with their own personality traits, wants and needs. This means that the working style which suits them best and lets them be the most productive will be different for everyone.
Great managers are flexible and offer different options when it comes to working style, communication and work hours. In recognition of this, many organisations these days are implementing flexible working arrangements including allowing workers to telecommute or work remotely either part or all of the time.
Set an Example
As a manager and a leader you need to set an example. It is one thing to give direction to your team, however you will undermine your authority and risk de-motivating your employees if you do not lead by example.
Sometimes you may be sending conflicting messages without even realising it. Do you tell your staff to maintain work-life balance, but then work too much overtime yourself? Or are you guilty of demanding strict punctuality from your team while being routinely late for staff meetings? Providing a model of how you want your team to behave or perform is a thousand times more powerful than any instruction.
Delegate
A big part of a manager is knowing how to delegate. It can be tempting to take on all of the work for yourself, whether because you think you are the only one who can do it correctly, or because you feel it is your responsibility.
However, you need to understand that your role as manager is not so much about doing the work yourself, as motivating, encouraging and directing others to do it. This can be a learning curve particularly for new managers who are used to “getting things done” for themselves. But as soon as you come to realise that it is impossible to personally do an entire team’s work by yourself, it will be easier to delegate appropriately!
Stay Organised
HR management involves a high degree of organisation. There are a lot of different tasks (and many different people) to keep on top of. No matter how busy you are, take the time to review your task list and keep on top of emails.
Systems can be a great asset in staying organised in a busy environment. Although it involves investing some time initially, setting up formal processes for HR functions such as performance reviews and systems for documenting HR issues and incidents will save you time in the long run.
Keep Learning As a Manager
Recognise that being a HR manager has very specific skills , and as with any skillset this is something you need to keep developing. Take your professional development as a manager seriously: watch webinars, read articles and undertake training to improve your skills. You many even consider investing in a Human Resource Management course.
