Are Your Human Resources Being Handled Effectively?

Not only are your employees your most important business assets but they are also your most costly, so it only makes sense that your employees are managed by a team of specialists. For small countertop businesses consisting of fewer than 10 employees, you may be able to handle the specifics by yourself or through your managers, but when you grow larger than this, it is a good idea to have a dedicated human resources (HR) department.

At one time, HR was only concerned with hiring and firing, but today, this department is considered to be a strategic partner at the table with finance, operations and other business teams that are not centers of profit. The job of HR, as is the job of all such departments, is to ensure that the business gets the most out of its employees. Another way to put this is that HR needs to provide a high return on your business’s investment in its people. This makes HR management a highly complex function because it not only deals with management issues but human ones as well.

These two polarities are not always easy to balance, and human resource managers specifically try to maximize output from employees by instituting various schemes and policies. The following are some of the functions handled by human resources.

Compensation and Rewards

HR departments are responsible for tying incentives and rewards to certain positions and roles in order to maximize performance levels. This is a strategic thinking task because it affects every single person in the organization and has to be planned separately for each position, depending on the level, department and goals. Some jobs, such as sales, need to be more goal driven, so salaries can be basic and commissions can form the bulk of the remuneration, which leads to more incentive to work effectively and close sales. It is up to HR to structure this important aspect to everyone’s satisfaction.

Recruitment and Hiring

Another important task handled by the HR department is the selection and retention of employees. If the right employees do not enter the organization, its days are numbered because people drive most countertop businesses toward success. HR managers handle the searching, screening, testing and matching of all applicants. With knowledge of your shop or office atmosphere, job requirements and duties, they can successfully find entry-level to senior-level staff that will fit into your company. Typically, HR will handle the first interview, and if they feel that a person is a good match, they will send the owner or managers the details and contact information so that those directly overseeing the employee may conduct their own interview.

Performance Management

Regular, balanced and systematic appraisals must be administered consistently in order to evaluate the performance of each individual in the organization. This allows HR to pinpoint the weaknesses of an individual’s work style and the strengths. They can then share this information with the employees in order to affect a change in performance. This, in turn, will lead to more productivity and potentially better returns on employee investment.

Point of Contact

HR personnel form the point of contact for an employee with any type of difficulty or query about their remuneration or other aspects of employment with the business. It is essential for someone to be available to answer questions and provide guidance. This communicates to the employees that the business cares about their concerns and is available to address them.

Employee Expectations

HR managers fulfill a very important ‘soft skill,’ or unspoken task – that of balancing employee expectations and the organization’s expectations. Both need to be addressed and aligned for a business to be successful and to maintain employee satisfaction. Only a content and motivated employee will deliver good work, so it is the job of HR to keep track of the expectations of the employee and those of the organization to ensure both are met simultaneously.

Human Resources Consultants

Any company that wishes to maximize the potential of its employees may want to consider hiring the services of an HR consultant. HR consultants typically work for a consulting agency and are very skilled in recruitment, staffing and employee services.

Several consultant firms are available throughout the country, and starting the process of finding a good match for the countertop industry may not be quite as difficult as it seems. However, you must make sure that you review each firm’s record of success to ensure they will meet your requirements. Once you have selected a consultant firm, they will send you resumes of specific consultants for your consideration.

When using the skills of an HR consultant, you are not only freeing up time that other employees could use for tasks directly related to profit, but also getting someone who specializes and has experience in the services you require. This person knows about general industry trends and demographics and is well versed in state and federal laws and regulations concerning the rights of employees.

A dedicated HR department can be an invaluable asset to your business, and if you are unsure how to go about starting the department on your own, a consultant will be able to assist you in the endeavor.

 

Article Source: Articlelogy.com