Human Resources: Ins and Outs
Human Resources: Ins and Outs
No great battle was ever won by people running around in circles, wondering where to go. Can you imagine how long the American Revolution would have lasted if the minutemen and the redcoats both had no idea what they were supposed to do? No General to keep them organized? We would have had two armies running around hoping they eventually bumped into each other. Sounds more like a Monty Python skit than anything else. The only positive schedule that would be followed is when to stop for lunch. Overall we can see why this method would not work out all too well. A business is no different. In the landscape of both the business and the digital world, it many times turns to human resource departments to help maintain organization in the work place.
But what exactly does a human resource department actually do? This is the important question that not everyone can always answer, or at least answer completely. In some ways the human resource department can seem like the underappreciated arm of a business. Typically an employee will only know enough that they don’t want to be sent to the human resources department, putting it on par with being sent to the principal’s office back in elementary school. So what all responsibility can fall upon a human resource department? For that answer, we will turn to Vision H.R. and take a look at the services they offer with their Human Resource Management packages.
Human Resource Compliance: The only thing in this world that is certain not to change, is the fact that the world is always changing. This doesn’t mean the changes are always going to be something major, they can be as simple as a an amendment to an employment law. As simple as that may sound, it could have negative effects on your business if you don’t keep track of it. This is why Human Resource departments have to stay current on changes in the laws and regulations, so they can implement these changes in the business, while also keeping employees and management informed of them as needed
Employee Communication: The easiest way to break the rules is to not know what they are. Common sense can usually get an employee a long way, but there are somethings that good sense cannot tell an employee about the work place. This is where items like an Employee Handbook come in handy. With an employee handbook, and a signed agreement to follow the procedures found within, an employee will be better suited to perform their job. It is also good to look back on in case an employee forgets. When you have memorized every lyric to every Journey song, your memory can tend to slip in other areas. An Employee Handbook can remedy this issue.
Management Training: What good is a store without management? Much like the analogy of armies without structure or Generals, a store without managers is a store without direction. A store with untrained managers is just another level of people not knowing what to do or where to be. Human resource experts are here to help train managers in various areas, making sure they can perform their duties effectively. The areas included in management training can include:
• Hiring Employees
• Terminating Employees
• Dealing with Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
• Progressive Discipline
• Customer Service
• Diversity
This can be in different ways, including online, training facilities, and even on location.
Progressive Discipline: Sometimes employees can get off track, and need a little help focusing. This is where progressive discipline comes in. With progressive discipline, an issue in the workplace can be fixed before it escalates any further. Much like a broken hammer, you can buy a new handle and keep on working, or ignore it and when the head flies off mid swing, hope whoever is behind you has quick reflexes. If you fix the hammer and it continues to break, it may be better to replace the whole hammer instead of trying to fix it.
Background Checks and Drug Screenings: Labor is never free, you are putting trust and money into someone, usually a stranger, to perform work for you. Until you have worked with them enough to really judge their character, background and drug screenings can give you a more in depth look at potential candidates for hiring. Background checks can look into previous employment history and criminal records. You don’t want someone with a background of stealing and dishonesty in the workplace running a cash register filled with money do you? Of course you don’t. That would just be poor judgement on your part.
Human Resource Support: One of the most important things that a human resource department must be is be available to help at all times. Problems are not going to check your schedule and ask when a good time to show up is. They can pop in just as suddenly, and cause just as much damage as, the Kool-Aid man bursting through a living room wall. This is why it is best to have a human resource department that is available at all hours of operation.
That is quite a bit of responsibility to cover, and there is still more we could add to it. It could be a bit difficult to try and train someone new to fulfill the position. When you outsource your Human Resource responsibilities to a company like Vision H.R., who already handle Oak Hill to Lake Mary, and upwards to Ormond Beach Human Resource management services, you get a dependable human resource department with a support team always ready to assist you.
