Hi,
I was reading the article on ‘9 secrets of guaranteed failure of HR Manager’ in CiteHR. Why to talk about only failure? I am giving the ' top 7 secrets for guaranteed success of the HR Manager':
1.KNOW YOUR JOB:
- It is important that you know your job in the first place. Knowing your job does not mean just having knowledge about the HR function that you have been handling for years. What it actually means knowing what is your job and what it should be in your company. You need to know your job, your role, and your job description in the context of your company and also the business phase / situation your company is currently undergoing – start-up, ongoing traditional company or young company, family owned, new CEO, merger or acquisition, new regulations, new structure for HR department, etc.
- It would be nice to play a role 100% of your choice. But, you need to work your way through this desirable goal. So, before reaching that reap season, do not simply assume what role you think is the role you should play or your company wants you to play. Get your role / job description clarified by the CEO (or whoever is your boss). You cannot do this by having just one sitting with the boss with a job description proposal written by you.
- You need to first talk on the expectations of your boss of the HR role you are expected to play during few one-to-one meetings with him and then arrive at an appropriate job description for you, expecting modifications on the way. You can influence your boss to have the role / system you may like, but do not be rigid.
- Your aim should be to eventually enlarge / upgrade, not shrink your role. But, be flexible to changes in your role along the way. Be aware of the influence that the changes – the strategic infliction points as Mr. Andrew S.Grove (President, Intel Corporation) would call them in his book ‘Only the Paranoid survive’ - may bring on your career management plan. The changes may be desirable or undesirable for your career advancement, and you must be able to judge and react. What appears to be a shrink in role may eventually prove to be growth. Be intuitive and alert.
- Constantly read the books / articles on all important HR topics - Recruitment, Induction, Training, Employee Relations, Legislations, New Regulations, Performance Management, Compensation & Benefits, Handling Employee Discipline, Discharge and Dismissal, etc. Keep your knowledge abreast of latest and important happenings in the field.
- You can accept responsibilities outside your normal role. Generally the HR Manager is given miscellaneous jobs by the CEO / the boss that do not sometimes fall under the normal job description. It could be something related to the Corporate Social Responsibility program that your company plans to launch or becoming the industry faculty to a college where your boss holds some interest. Be careful to accept additional responsibilities. While you may keep your boss happy that you have offered him some help, it should not dilute your primary role and the prospects connected thereto. At the same time you can’t also totally avoid such jobs being given to you. Don’t bite more than what you can chew. Don’t overpromise and underdeliver. Look for value addition in anything you do.
- If you are interested to take up more jobs outside your normal role as a means of fulfilling your self-actualization needs or otherwise, then have a good time management habits so that your primary job / role does not suffer.
- Be careful about accepting reward - monetary or otherwise - on the basis of jobs you have done outside your normal role. It will spoil your image / reputation amongst your colleagues at different levels. Let others not carry an impression that you have influenced your boss for recognition / reward only by doing the special jobs outside your normal purview. Whether your HR job brings tangible or intangible results, that should be the basis for your recognition / reward. Learn to quantify your contribution in HR.
- Be highly competitive.
2.UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE LEGISLATIONS:
- This is the minimum you need to do to survive and be safe.
- Be 100% clear about the legislations that would apply to your industry / company. Discuss and find out if any omissions are there.
- Have a habit of reading the bare acts, interpretations and case laws.
- Reach out to the professionals, legal consultants for help or clarification when necessary. Do not jump to conclusions based on your own understanding. At the same time do not run to the external legal consultant for each and everything.
- If your company has appointed (through you or otherwise) a Legal Consultant for HR related matters, get a legal opinion in writing from him during an issue or before the issue arrives. And, do not simply go by what the consultant says on anything and everything. Be innovative to find pragmatic solutions without compromising legal compliance.
- Ensure good compliance. Conduct self-audit for checking compliance with respect to all applicable legislations.
- Have a good aptitude for compliance. It involves lot of Forms and Registers to be meticulously filled and submitted periodically to the concerned Labour Inspector or any other Inspector / Officer of the Govt. dept. If you personally do not have such aptitude, then hire one having the right aptitude for this job.
- If you need to get necessary exemption from the concerned Govt. department for avoiding laborious work for the sake of compliance, get it. But, check and be sure that the exemption really applies to the areas you have envisaged and to all your establishments, if you have expected it that way.
- Do not relax, if you have totally outsourced the compliance job. Anticipate lapses on the part of your outsourcing partner and proactively take corrective actions.
- Maintain good relationship with the Govt. authorities – Factory Inspector, Labor Inspector and other such officials, even if you have outsourced the compliance part of the job to a consultant. The relationship management could be preferably through your suitable senior subordinate rather than yourself directly handling the matters all the time.
- Report serious issues immediately to your boss / the key personnel concerned (Ex. Company Secretary). Do not postpone the reporting assuming you would be able to handle / resolve it yourself. The issue may eventually turn out to be a crisis and reporting it later would mean ‘gross negligence’ or ‘failure to report’ on your part. You may be able to handle it yourself, but report on time without panicking your boss / colleagues.
- Keep cool when you have serious issues. If necessary, take more than one opinion from external legal consultants on serious issues. Keep the opinion formal or informal depending on how you want to use it.
3.KEEP YOUR IDENTITY SEPRATE AND SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE CEO:
- Don’t depend on the CEO too much; don’t become his mouthpiece.
- The CEO generally expects his HR Manager (more than from any other manager) to fully reflect his personal policies, irrespective of what is written, to suit his whims and fancies. Often the HR Manager becomes the CEO’s mouthpiece or projected that way. This role, the nearness you enjoy with the CEO, the say that you have on people related matters (salary increments, promotions etc.) might give you a sense of power. But, be careful. Do not get caught into this trap.
- While you cannot openly show your disagreements to your CEO on matters that you do not really agree with, and you cannot express your half-heartedness when implementing the CEO’s decisions that you may not like, it is quite possible that you do not become aggressive / arrogant while implementing the decisions that are not in the general interest of the people. It does not mean that to save your skin you let others know that you are helpless though you have not agreed in principle. That kind of game is dangerous.
- Do not offer yourself to the CEO to become his arrow so he can shoot you at whomever and whenever he wants. If you do that then some day you will become the target and he will blame and break you.
- While you may play the role of his informer often biting his ears on what is happening around, do not carry tales that would unduly harm others. Be fair and objective in this role. Keep the interest of the company in first place. Verify before taking the grapevine information to the ears of the CEO. Do not appear to be sure, if you are not really sure. And, do not take matters about which you are not very sure. Otherwise, people will come to know of your tale teller role, would call it dirty politics and you will lose credibility.
- Do not just reflect the CEO’s attitude when you need to implement harsh decisions. While you need to be ruthless, you can be cool and graceful.
- Dealing with the CEO is a double-edged sword for the HR Manager. He has to handle it carefully. If your CEO is very generous about employee benefits and often goes out of way to give more, do not assume that you need to control him and give advice to him accordingly. He may use that to show that he is generous in spite of your ‘ill advice’ AND you will then face the embarrassment. Or, do not give an impression to people for enhancing your personal image that you have contributed for the CEO’s generosity. Stay neutral. This will help you when the CEO suddenly changes his policy after burning his fingers. People will not blame you.
- Give proper advice to the CEO. Initially he may turn it down. Do not lose heart. Develop the ways of tactfully communicating to him. Do not simply depend on him for advice and action.
- Keep your identity separate and slightly away from the CEO.
- While you allow the CEO to use you, use the CEO in the process to get a meaningful and satisfying role for you.
4. DON’T THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE MANAGER AROUND:
- Some HR managers lose their heads assuming that they are the only people managers around in their organizations. They are laboring under the illusion that they are controlling the entire human resource and therefore they tend to neglect the roles of line managers / other functional heads in people issues. Sometimes, they bypass the hierarchies while dealing with people related matters. It could be a transfer or shifting the telephone or a punitive action on an employee or anything.
- As a general rule involve the department head / line manager wherever necessary (even if the CEO does not expect it from you) and make them feel they are responsible. This does not mean you involve all of them all the time, promote collective decision, and dilute your authority / identity. Involve them to the extent that they do not pass the buck, let you handle all the difficult / sensitive situations what they are supposed to handle and they watch the fun that you have foolishly taken all the heat / dirt on your head.
- Do not encourage employees to approach the HR department directly for grievance settlements, or for giving complaints (like loss of mobile phone, ill treatment by immediate superior). Have a proper grievance handling procedure that involves the other department managers as well. Do not let your HR staffs assume that they are the sole custodians of people and they need to give their shoulders for employees who want to cry. Maintain ‘come through proper channel’ approach. But, use every opportunity to know what is happening in other departments and how the employees are treated.
- HR is not about working with the people, but for the people through well-designed HR systems – the Social Security System, PMS, Career Management System etc. So, do not think the HR manager has to act as the representative of the employees on matters what the employees think HR has to represent. Do not become the political leader or act as the union leader of the employees.
- Some HR managers think they are solely responsible for enforcing employee discipline, curtailing employee cost etc. They make ‘inspection rounds’ and ‘catch’ the employees ‘red-handed’ when they find some misconduct. They pounce upon the employees caught with punitive actions without involving the other department head / line manager under whom those employees work. Sometimes, the poke their noses into some matters related to small welfares that the department managers have introduced informally for employees (like evening snacks) and see that they are stopped. Such actions will bring only hatred towards you. If you want, you can formalize and frame some common rules, but do not take the credit for spoiling something. (Never dwell on the anti-employee attitude, what you may unconsciously develop because you may be meeting erring employees – referred to you for disciplining - more often than the good ones.)
- Keep your visibility to the people to the advantage of your career, not for the popularity that it may give for short time. Do not enjoy / have taste for popularity, even if you have it in your organization.
5.CREATE GOOD, COMPREHENSIVE AND FAIR RULES, BUT DON’T BECOME A RULE BOOK:
- Create and maintain proper service rules, administrative procedures, and sound HR policies.
- If it is required to get the Service Rules certified by the Govt. Labour Department, then get it done on time (as per the Standing Orders Act applicable to your state.)
- Be fair while framing the policies / rules / procedures.
- Be comprehensive so that the policies / rules / procedures do not lack clarity and present ambiguity when peculiar situations arrive.
- Do not fail to see the spirit behind the rules while dealing with extraordinary situations.
- Do not allow the rules to result in inhuman approach, rigid bureaucracy that would refuse to see the need for genuine / informal modifications.
- See that your company’s mission, vision and policy statements are reflecting in the rules & regulations and procedures. Many times there would be wide gap.
- Do not become the rulebook without a heart.
6.USE ADMINISTRATION WORK TO SHOW TANGIBLE RESULTS, USE IT INTELLIGENTLY, BUT DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN WITH IT:
- The HR job is said to be producing intangible results. So, the HR manager stands with the disadvantage of not being able to make claim / take full credit for his contributions.
- While the production manager claims production of X no. of components per day, the marketing manager makes claim for sales of Y Rupees per month, and what does the HR manager do? Recruited 100 persons and 30 of them have left? The work-accidents have gone up because the HR has not done the job; they have gone down later as the line manager has introduced a safety system? What is the benefit to the company that the training programs have brought? Did the equipment breakdowns decrease only because of training imparted? Very difficult job indeed to quantify such contributions that HR makes.
- So, have some administration work always as part of your responsibility to show tangible results in that area to others and make them feel your department useful and important.
- Also, the administration work contributes for your power and gives you access for information about happenings in other departments. So, use it that way.
- But, never get bogged down with the administrative work and get the priority for core HR works (Training & Development, Performance management, Recruitment etc.) diluted.
- Do not allow your future orientation to eat away your present orientation; do not neglect the wheels (administration) that the company needs for running smoothly on the road everyday, when you are busy with 360 degrees performance appraisal.
7.BUILD AND KEEP YOUR HR SYSTEMS AROUND YOUR COMPANY’S BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:
- Periodically conduct HR audit to see that all your HR systems are relevant to the company’s business needs and its technological processes.
- Show interest to understand the technical processes, manufacturing system, industrial engineering concepts, marketing and financial aspects of the business and costing systems.
- Build your HR systems around the business needs and constantly update your system.
- Do competency mapping periodically for your HR staffs (whether you do it for the whole company or not) and ensure that your department is competent enough to handle the present and future needs of the company.
- If you find your staffs do not have necessary competency, then either train the selected staff on competencies where improvement is needed or recruit some competent person who can fill the gap.
- Use research methods (organizational climate survey, compensation survey etc.) to continuously improve your HR systems and strategies.
- Do not frighten the employees frequently talking about change as a part of your change management program that you reel off, because your CEO wants you to talk about change.
- People should be asked to be alert to changes due to market / technological changes and challenges and be adaptable with necessary modifications in systems. This message will not produce discomfort or resistance (or it may produce them in a lesser degree), whereas if you ask people to drastically change them, they would resist and revolt.
- Do not underestimate your ability to change your self and do not overestimate your ability to change others. Change yourself first before preaching about changing others.
- Do networking within and outside the company. It will help you to bring the best practices in the filed and reach out for help when needed.
By,
Jeevaneyan
From India, Bangalore
6I was reading the article on ‘9 secrets of guaranteed failure of HR Manager’ in CiteHR. Why to talk about only failure? I am giving the ' top 7 secrets for guaranteed success of the HR Manager':
1.KNOW YOUR JOB:
- It is important that you know your job in the first place. Knowing your job does not mean just having knowledge about the HR function that you have been handling for years. What it actually means knowing what is your job and what it should be in your company. You need to know your job, your role, and your job description in the context of your company and also the business phase / situation your company is currently undergoing – start-up, ongoing traditional company or young company, family owned, new CEO, merger or acquisition, new regulations, new structure for HR department, etc.
- It would be nice to play a role 100% of your choice. But, you need to work your way through this desirable goal. So, before reaching that reap season, do not simply assume what role you think is the role you should play or your company wants you to play. Get your role / job description clarified by the CEO (or whoever is your boss). You cannot do this by having just one sitting with the boss with a job description proposal written by you.
- You need to first talk on the expectations of your boss of the HR role you are expected to play during few one-to-one meetings with him and then arrive at an appropriate job description for you, expecting modifications on the way. You can influence your boss to have the role / system you may like, but do not be rigid.
- Your aim should be to eventually enlarge / upgrade, not shrink your role. But, be flexible to changes in your role along the way. Be aware of the influence that the changes – the strategic infliction points as Mr. Andrew S.Grove (President, Intel Corporation) would call them in his book ‘Only the Paranoid survive’ - may bring on your career management plan. The changes may be desirable or undesirable for your career advancement, and you must be able to judge and react. What appears to be a shrink in role may eventually prove to be growth. Be intuitive and alert.
- Constantly read the books / articles on all important HR topics - Recruitment, Induction, Training, Employee Relations, Legislations, New Regulations, Performance Management, Compensation & Benefits, Handling Employee Discipline, Discharge and Dismissal, etc. Keep your knowledge abreast of latest and important happenings in the field.
- You can accept responsibilities outside your normal role. Generally the HR Manager is given miscellaneous jobs by the CEO / the boss that do not sometimes fall under the normal job description. It could be something related to the Corporate Social Responsibility program that your company plans to launch or becoming the industry faculty to a college where your boss holds some interest. Be careful to accept additional responsibilities. While you may keep your boss happy that you have offered him some help, it should not dilute your primary role and the prospects connected thereto. At the same time you can’t also totally avoid such jobs being given to you. Don’t bite more than what you can chew. Don’t overpromise and underdeliver. Look for value addition in anything you do.
- If you are interested to take up more jobs outside your normal role as a means of fulfilling your self-actualization needs or otherwise, then have a good time management habits so that your primary job / role does not suffer.
- Be careful about accepting reward - monetary or otherwise - on the basis of jobs you have done outside your normal role. It will spoil your image / reputation amongst your colleagues at different levels. Let others not carry an impression that you have influenced your boss for recognition / reward only by doing the special jobs outside your normal purview. Whether your HR job brings tangible or intangible results, that should be the basis for your recognition / reward. Learn to quantify your contribution in HR.
- Be highly competitive.
2.UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE LEGISLATIONS:
- This is the minimum you need to do to survive and be safe.
- Be 100% clear about the legislations that would apply to your industry / company. Discuss and find out if any omissions are there.
- Have a habit of reading the bare acts, interpretations and case laws.
- Reach out to the professionals, legal consultants for help or clarification when necessary. Do not jump to conclusions based on your own understanding. At the same time do not run to the external legal consultant for each and everything.
- If your company has appointed (through you or otherwise) a Legal Consultant for HR related matters, get a legal opinion in writing from him during an issue or before the issue arrives. And, do not simply go by what the consultant says on anything and everything. Be innovative to find pragmatic solutions without compromising legal compliance.
- Ensure good compliance. Conduct self-audit for checking compliance with respect to all applicable legislations.
- Have a good aptitude for compliance. It involves lot of Forms and Registers to be meticulously filled and submitted periodically to the concerned Labour Inspector or any other Inspector / Officer of the Govt. dept. If you personally do not have such aptitude, then hire one having the right aptitude for this job.
- If you need to get necessary exemption from the concerned Govt. department for avoiding laborious work for the sake of compliance, get it. But, check and be sure that the exemption really applies to the areas you have envisaged and to all your establishments, if you have expected it that way.
- Do not relax, if you have totally outsourced the compliance job. Anticipate lapses on the part of your outsourcing partner and proactively take corrective actions.
- Maintain good relationship with the Govt. authorities – Factory Inspector, Labor Inspector and other such officials, even if you have outsourced the compliance part of the job to a consultant. The relationship management could be preferably through your suitable senior subordinate rather than yourself directly handling the matters all the time.
- Report serious issues immediately to your boss / the key personnel concerned (Ex. Company Secretary). Do not postpone the reporting assuming you would be able to handle / resolve it yourself. The issue may eventually turn out to be a crisis and reporting it later would mean ‘gross negligence’ or ‘failure to report’ on your part. You may be able to handle it yourself, but report on time without panicking your boss / colleagues.
- Keep cool when you have serious issues. If necessary, take more than one opinion from external legal consultants on serious issues. Keep the opinion formal or informal depending on how you want to use it.
3.KEEP YOUR IDENTITY SEPRATE AND SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE CEO:
- Don’t depend on the CEO too much; don’t become his mouthpiece.
- The CEO generally expects his HR Manager (more than from any other manager) to fully reflect his personal policies, irrespective of what is written, to suit his whims and fancies. Often the HR Manager becomes the CEO’s mouthpiece or projected that way. This role, the nearness you enjoy with the CEO, the say that you have on people related matters (salary increments, promotions etc.) might give you a sense of power. But, be careful. Do not get caught into this trap.
- While you cannot openly show your disagreements to your CEO on matters that you do not really agree with, and you cannot express your half-heartedness when implementing the CEO’s decisions that you may not like, it is quite possible that you do not become aggressive / arrogant while implementing the decisions that are not in the general interest of the people. It does not mean that to save your skin you let others know that you are helpless though you have not agreed in principle. That kind of game is dangerous.
- Do not offer yourself to the CEO to become his arrow so he can shoot you at whomever and whenever he wants. If you do that then some day you will become the target and he will blame and break you.
- While you may play the role of his informer often biting his ears on what is happening around, do not carry tales that would unduly harm others. Be fair and objective in this role. Keep the interest of the company in first place. Verify before taking the grapevine information to the ears of the CEO. Do not appear to be sure, if you are not really sure. And, do not take matters about which you are not very sure. Otherwise, people will come to know of your tale teller role, would call it dirty politics and you will lose credibility.
- Do not just reflect the CEO’s attitude when you need to implement harsh decisions. While you need to be ruthless, you can be cool and graceful.
- Dealing with the CEO is a double-edged sword for the HR Manager. He has to handle it carefully. If your CEO is very generous about employee benefits and often goes out of way to give more, do not assume that you need to control him and give advice to him accordingly. He may use that to show that he is generous in spite of your ‘ill advice’ AND you will then face the embarrassment. Or, do not give an impression to people for enhancing your personal image that you have contributed for the CEO’s generosity. Stay neutral. This will help you when the CEO suddenly changes his policy after burning his fingers. People will not blame you.
- Give proper advice to the CEO. Initially he may turn it down. Do not lose heart. Develop the ways of tactfully communicating to him. Do not simply depend on him for advice and action.
- Keep your identity separate and slightly away from the CEO.
- While you allow the CEO to use you, use the CEO in the process to get a meaningful and satisfying role for you.
4. DON’T THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE MANAGER AROUND:
- Some HR managers lose their heads assuming that they are the only people managers around in their organizations. They are laboring under the illusion that they are controlling the entire human resource and therefore they tend to neglect the roles of line managers / other functional heads in people issues. Sometimes, they bypass the hierarchies while dealing with people related matters. It could be a transfer or shifting the telephone or a punitive action on an employee or anything.
- As a general rule involve the department head / line manager wherever necessary (even if the CEO does not expect it from you) and make them feel they are responsible. This does not mean you involve all of them all the time, promote collective decision, and dilute your authority / identity. Involve them to the extent that they do not pass the buck, let you handle all the difficult / sensitive situations what they are supposed to handle and they watch the fun that you have foolishly taken all the heat / dirt on your head.
- Do not encourage employees to approach the HR department directly for grievance settlements, or for giving complaints (like loss of mobile phone, ill treatment by immediate superior). Have a proper grievance handling procedure that involves the other department managers as well. Do not let your HR staffs assume that they are the sole custodians of people and they need to give their shoulders for employees who want to cry. Maintain ‘come through proper channel’ approach. But, use every opportunity to know what is happening in other departments and how the employees are treated.
- HR is not about working with the people, but for the people through well-designed HR systems – the Social Security System, PMS, Career Management System etc. So, do not think the HR manager has to act as the representative of the employees on matters what the employees think HR has to represent. Do not become the political leader or act as the union leader of the employees.
- Some HR managers think they are solely responsible for enforcing employee discipline, curtailing employee cost etc. They make ‘inspection rounds’ and ‘catch’ the employees ‘red-handed’ when they find some misconduct. They pounce upon the employees caught with punitive actions without involving the other department head / line manager under whom those employees work. Sometimes, the poke their noses into some matters related to small welfares that the department managers have introduced informally for employees (like evening snacks) and see that they are stopped. Such actions will bring only hatred towards you. If you want, you can formalize and frame some common rules, but do not take the credit for spoiling something. (Never dwell on the anti-employee attitude, what you may unconsciously develop because you may be meeting erring employees – referred to you for disciplining - more often than the good ones.)
- Keep your visibility to the people to the advantage of your career, not for the popularity that it may give for short time. Do not enjoy / have taste for popularity, even if you have it in your organization.
5.CREATE GOOD, COMPREHENSIVE AND FAIR RULES, BUT DON’T BECOME A RULE BOOK:
- Create and maintain proper service rules, administrative procedures, and sound HR policies.
- If it is required to get the Service Rules certified by the Govt. Labour Department, then get it done on time (as per the Standing Orders Act applicable to your state.)
- Be fair while framing the policies / rules / procedures.
- Be comprehensive so that the policies / rules / procedures do not lack clarity and present ambiguity when peculiar situations arrive.
- Do not fail to see the spirit behind the rules while dealing with extraordinary situations.
- Do not allow the rules to result in inhuman approach, rigid bureaucracy that would refuse to see the need for genuine / informal modifications.
- See that your company’s mission, vision and policy statements are reflecting in the rules & regulations and procedures. Many times there would be wide gap.
- Do not become the rulebook without a heart.
6.USE ADMINISTRATION WORK TO SHOW TANGIBLE RESULTS, USE IT INTELLIGENTLY, BUT DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN WITH IT:
- The HR job is said to be producing intangible results. So, the HR manager stands with the disadvantage of not being able to make claim / take full credit for his contributions.
- While the production manager claims production of X no. of components per day, the marketing manager makes claim for sales of Y Rupees per month, and what does the HR manager do? Recruited 100 persons and 30 of them have left? The work-accidents have gone up because the HR has not done the job; they have gone down later as the line manager has introduced a safety system? What is the benefit to the company that the training programs have brought? Did the equipment breakdowns decrease only because of training imparted? Very difficult job indeed to quantify such contributions that HR makes.
- So, have some administration work always as part of your responsibility to show tangible results in that area to others and make them feel your department useful and important.
- Also, the administration work contributes for your power and gives you access for information about happenings in other departments. So, use it that way.
- But, never get bogged down with the administrative work and get the priority for core HR works (Training & Development, Performance management, Recruitment etc.) diluted.
- Do not allow your future orientation to eat away your present orientation; do not neglect the wheels (administration) that the company needs for running smoothly on the road everyday, when you are busy with 360 degrees performance appraisal.
7.BUILD AND KEEP YOUR HR SYSTEMS AROUND YOUR COMPANY’S BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:
- Periodically conduct HR audit to see that all your HR systems are relevant to the company’s business needs and its technological processes.
- Show interest to understand the technical processes, manufacturing system, industrial engineering concepts, marketing and financial aspects of the business and costing systems.
- Build your HR systems around the business needs and constantly update your system.
- Do competency mapping periodically for your HR staffs (whether you do it for the whole company or not) and ensure that your department is competent enough to handle the present and future needs of the company.
- If you find your staffs do not have necessary competency, then either train the selected staff on competencies where improvement is needed or recruit some competent person who can fill the gap.
- Use research methods (organizational climate survey, compensation survey etc.) to continuously improve your HR systems and strategies.
- Do not frighten the employees frequently talking about change as a part of your change management program that you reel off, because your CEO wants you to talk about change.
- People should be asked to be alert to changes due to market / technological changes and challenges and be adaptable with necessary modifications in systems. This message will not produce discomfort or resistance (or it may produce them in a lesser degree), whereas if you ask people to drastically change them, they would resist and revolt.
- Do not underestimate your ability to change your self and do not overestimate your ability to change others. Change yourself first before preaching about changing others.
- Do networking within and outside the company. It will help you to bring the best practices in the filed and reach out for help when needed.
By,
Jeevaneyan
From India, Bangalore
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Top 5 Secrets.pdf