5 Essential Human Resource Tips

By Author: emrindustry
Total Articles: 266
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HR representatives must approach encounters with employees through openness to two-way communication: expecting to listen without prejudice to the worker and expecting the worker to be open to the HR rep’s responses. All the issues that will be dealt with between an employee and an HR rep will be determined by the rep’s ability to communicate. Much has been written about communication and much training has been centered on the topic. Ultimately, an approach of openness, clarity and consistency leads to the fullest communication. Simply through mutual communication, the majority of misunderstandings are resolved.

Achieve Adaptability

The ability of HR to be flexible is tempered by the necessities of the workplace and the company’s policies. If an employee is a sincere person of integrity, the willingness of an HR rep to negotiate around that person’s needs will inevitably breed trust and gratitude. If, on the other hand, an employee wants special privileges in order to “game the system,” the HR person and the business itself are subject to manipulation and disrespect. The answer must be found in policies ...
... that allow limited discretion to the HR rep to be flexible and adaptable to a certain extent.

Overcome “Us/Them” Thinking

Part of today’s conventional wisdom is that companies no longer feel any loyalty to their employees. Of course, if that were true, there would be no need for a human resources department. Business leaders recognize that fair, equitable treatment for employees is an absolute necessity for a company to achieve its goals. They recognize as well that employees give their best when valued as human beings beyond the work they provide. The HR rep understands that there is a synergistic relationship between the workers and the company, each supporting and relying upon the other for the best outcome for both.

Discipline Should Reflect Honesty and Compassion

It is invariably the case that employees sometimes fall short of the expectations of a business. Dealing with these issues becomes the responsibility of the HR officer. While conflict and discipline by definition are unpleasant and awkward, they also present opportunities for both the employee and the company. Ideally, the attitude of the company should be that the worker is restored to full-fledged, trusted employment. To achieve this, here are certain recommendations:

• Upon employment, the worker should be apprised of and acknowledge all company expectations.
• All HR interactions with an employee should be documented and signed by the HR rep and the employee and should be available to the employee upon request.
• There should be an established grievance procedure for the employee to follow with an appeals process.
• The disciplinary process should be graduated, with proper steps prior to any determination leading to termination.