Identifying your organization’s strategic goals and implementing steps to achieve them is an essential part of the human resources management plan, but it’s just the first step in a number of activities that ensure successful HR management. Evaluating an HR management plan for success includes looking at recruitment policies, hiring processes, the extent to which HR is part of the company’s strategic plan and how effective HR leaders are at strengthening the employer-employee relationship.
Creating A Workforce
If you’re creating a human resources management plan for a start-up organization or if the HR management plan addresses the needs of a growing workforce, examine the strategic direction of your recruitment and selection processes. Determine whether your job postings and advertisements appeal to qualified applicants and if your recruiters are actively promoting both intangible and tangible benefits of working for your organization. Building a world-class workforce requires more than good wages — your organization will eventually become known as an employer of choice if you treat applicants with respect, streamline the hiring process and engage employees from the very first day on the job with an on-boarding program that welcomes them to your team.
Also Read: HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
HRM In the Corner Office
Personnel administration — a predecessor to HR management — focused primarily on transaction HR matters, such as processing payroll, signing up employees for benefits and handling workers compensation claims. Over the course of about two decades, HR emerged as a strategic partner, joining executive-level management in developing long-range plans for the organization. The test of an HR management plan includes whether HR’s involvement, which many call “sitting at the table,” is all for show or if executive leadership actually relies on the HR leader to participate in shaping the organization’s future.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Workplace conflict, such as employee complaints about equity and fairness, generalized malcontent among employees and unresolved employee-to-employee issues, creates a toxic work environment. Every HR management plan should have an employee relations component. Employee relations is an HR discipline that encompasses everything from performance management steps to workplace investigations. An effective plan must have a competent employee relations specialist who is skillful at assessing employment-related matters and functioning as a dual advocate for the organization and its employees.
Knowledge Is Power
Lost productivity, low employee morale and overall job dissatisfaction often can be attributed to lack of training and development opportunities. In her June 2011 article for Credit Union Times titled, “Training is Key to Employee Job Satisfaction, Productivity,” Myriam DiGiovanni connects training to performance and productivity, particularly in small businesses where improving employees’ skill sets are critical to an engaged workforce. Although training budgets typically are the first to get cut, a successful HR management plan converts training from a discretionary budget item to a line item so that the company recognizes that employee training is not just an expense — it’s an investment.
