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MANAGE HUMAN RESOURCES


WHY IT MATTERS
 
People are at the heart of everything an organization does. No matter what other assets an organization possesses, they will amount to little if it doesn’t have people that are qualified and dedicated to their work. People are the greatest competitive asset an organization can acquire. They are what makes an organization truly great. Leaders that manage human resources effectively bring the best people into the organization, place them in the right jobs, grow them to do great things, and empower them to take the organization to new heights. Leaders that ineffectively manage human resources may risk setting the organization back by either failing to acquire or wasting the most important resource they have.
 
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Leaders that effectively manage human resources believe their employees are their most important asset. They believe in investing in their people. They leverage human resource processes to create a compelling people strategy, implement an employment brand, build a strong culture, manage the employee life cycle, develop and grow their people, compensate and reward employees for their work.

Leaders that manage human resources align the people strategy of the organization with the business strategy of the organization. They recognize the supporting role that human resources play in their work. They create meaningful metrics to measure the ability of human resources to advance the business strategy and review its performance like any other component of their business.

Leaders that manage human resources define, create, and reinforce a strategic employment brand and culture within their organization. They create a place where people want to work and give their best to their work. They recognize the war for talent and the importance of creating a culture that attracts the best people to their doorstep.

Leaders that manage human resources effectively manage the complete employee lifecycle. They establish processes to ensure careful hiring. They ensure a smooth transition for new employees into the organization. They implement training and leadership development programs to grow employee capabilities. They put in place a strong and encouraging performance management process. They also create clear processes to effectively manage poor performers out of the organization.

Leaders that effectively manage human resources ensure proper legal and regulatory oversight. They ensure employees and managers know and follow the laws that govern employment practices in their country.
 
Leaders that manage human resources oversee the development of a strong compensation strategy and system. They ensure employee compensation is regulated across the organization. They create incentive programs to reward and encourage top performers.

Leaders that excel at managing human resource processes set the example by implementing and using those processes themselves, and they require other leaders and managers to do the same. When it comes to human resources they practice what they preach.

BELIEFS

  • If your people are the greatest asset your organization has, you are wise to make sure your human resources processes are top notch.
  • A simple method to assess the strategic capability of any leader is to analyze their view towards human resources.
  • Those that invest in human resources know they can’t achieve anything of lasting value without amazing people.
  • Human resources can drive overall employee performance more than any organizational trigger a leader has.
  • No other asset will more directly affect the outcome of an organization’s ability to achieve its strategy than its people. 
  • If you think human resources is all about hiring, firing, and paying people you don’t understand human resources.
  • Nothing discredits human resources strategies and processes faster than a leader who doesn’t lead by example.
  • There isn’t another business process as interwoven through every aspect of the organization as human resources.
        
BEST PRACTICES

  • Understand current and future staffing needs.
  • Implement HR systems across the workplace.
  • Create meaningful HR metrics.
  • Expect managers to implement HR practices.
  • Create reward and recognition systems.
  • Utilize HR to create a strong employee culture.
  • Meet regularly and counsel with HR leaders.
  • Value people as your most important asset.
  • Ensure all HR work connects to the strategy.
  • Ensure all HR processes are legally compliant.
  • Implement recruitment and branding strategies.
  • Ensure the right people are in the right jobs.
  • Have a clearly defined people strategy.
  • Position HR as a key strategic process.
  • Ensure new employees get started right.
  • Implement leadership development programs.
  • Leverage human resource technologies.
  • Create meaningful metrics to measure HR.
  • Put in place a systematic staffing process.
  • Tie the HR strategy to the business strategy.
  • Provide training and development for all.
  • Use a performance management system.

SELF-REFLECTION
 
  • Do I believe that people are my most important asset, or do I see them as less important than they really are?
  • Do I heavily invest in the people side of my organization, or do I always choose to direct funds elsewhere?
  • Do I purposefully define a strategic employment brand and culture, or do I let the brand and culture define themselves?
  • Do I have strong human resources legal and regulatory oversight in place, or do I leave the door open to risk?
  • Do I feel confident in the strength of my compensation and rewards systems, or do I feel there is more to be done?
  • Do I have strong procedures in place to manage employee performance, or do I fail to manage employees effectively?
  • Do I invest in employee training and development, or do I fail to help employees expand their capabilities?
  • Do I feel confident the organization hires the right people, or do I feel the organization misses as much as it gets it right?

WORDS OF CAUTION

  • Don’t allow human resources to become seen as “fluff” because you invest in programs that don’t directly align to the strategy.
  • Don’t provide so many human resource services to the organization that you create a “flavor of the month” culture.
  • Don’t judge your human resources’ success by its level of activity instead of its direct impact on bottom-line results.

PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS

  • The most important asset of a company is its people.
  • Training new employees is of utmost importance.
  • Getting the right people hired is critical to success.
  • An employee’s work should be reviewed regularly.
  • Staffing issues always have my attention.
  • I strictly follow the HR policies within the organization.
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