Important notice - We are aware of a scam where people are impersonating CMD Recruitment to offer jobs via WhatsApp & Telegram. This is a scam, CMD Recruitment will never contact new candidates via these methods. Any legitmate offer from CMD Recruitment would be made via a telephone call.
December 21, 2023
Your HR department is the lifeblood of your company. When you support your HR department to do their best work, you are supporting the entire organisation. HR can only do so much without the support of the wider business. So, if you want your company to succeed, there are steps to consider to help support the objectives of your team.
In this guide, we will look at 10 steps management can take to help support their HR department to do their best work.
You can better support your HR department if you are aware of the challenges they are facing. This means understanding issues within your workforce and the wider industry. There’s little sense in getting frustrated that job openings aren’t being filled if you are unaware of labour shortages within the sector. When you understand your workforce and the challenges faced by the sector, you’ll be able to operate on the same page as your HR department.
Your HR department will have an easier time finding quality new team members if your company has a flexible or hybrid working policy. Since the end of the pandemic, workers have been keen to continue hybrid working practices, particularly in roles where their presence in an office environment isn’t entirely necessary. By offering flexible working as standard, your HR team will have an easier time attracting employees.
Employee wellness initiatives need to come from the top of the organisation. Taking the lead on employee wellness will ensure your HR team has the resources and support they need to drive change. You should also be open to hearing new ideas from your HR team on ways you can improve wellness.
While your HR department is busy looking for training opportunities and career development courses for your wider team, you should be looking for the equivalent for your HR department. Advancements in the HR field – particularly in the realm of technology – will drive significant change in this sector in the coming years, and your HR team needs to be equipped to deal with these changes. By offering training and development opportunities, you can empower your HR team to stay one step ahead of the curve.
Open communication is an essential part of any good HR department, and this needs to work in all directions. Your HR department should be able to communicate freely with management to raise issues and feel confident that these issues will be dealt with promptly. Communication should also be open between your employees and your HR department. Through effective communication, you can deal with issues as they arise, rather than dealing with the outcome.
Your HR department will have an easier time motivating staff when management takes note of their achievements. Recognising employee achievements through employee of the month schemes and reward programmes will make the role of the HR manager much easier. Your HR department will be empowered to make a difference and motivate your employees if they have the backing of higher management.
Employees will be happier if they can sustain a healthy work/life balance. Promote this as a company initiative from the top down and make sure employees at all levels of your business are able to make the most of these policies. A good work/life balance will help to promote better productivity during working hours and it isn’t something that should be feared as an employee. Burnout in your employees will be far more damaging.
Instead of waiting until your employees complain or guessing about the programmes and initiatives that your employees want to see, try asking for feedback. Being open to all feedback – both positive and negative – will enable you to be proactive instead of reactive. You can learn which training programmes are helpful, which employee incentives make a difference and what needs to change in order to keep your workforce happy. You’ll also learn if departments are short-staffed and struggling, and this information can be fed back to help optimise hiring practices.
Your HR team will be busy taking care of the rest of your employees, making sure they get paid on time and have a rewarding experience at work. So who is taking care of your HR department? Make sure you act in their best interests and implement the same initiatives and incentives to make their working environment and experience as optimal as possible. Asking for feedback on ways you can make their lives easier will always be welcome. They will also have their finger on the pulse of HR technology, so make sure you are seeking their feedback on ways you can improve their systems and processes.
A benefit will only be a selling point for your company if it actually helps your employees. Competitive benefits can make your company a highly desirable place to work, so make sure you request feedback from your HR department to learn more about which benefits employees are looking for. If you offer flexible or hybrid working, a cycle to work scheme might not be as effective as offering support to kit out a home office. Your HR team will know which benefits interview candidates are looking for, so one simple way to empower them is to act on their insight.
Your company will be more competitive and able to adapt to the changing labour market if you empower your HR department to do their best work. This means open communication and acting on their feedback – after all, they will have the greatest insight into what employees want and what prospective hires are looking for.
While you’re taking care of the rest of your workforce, make sure you don’t neglect the needs of your HR department. Their happiness and job satisfaction should also be a key consideration when implementing company policy.
Back to Blog
