Imagup General Magazine 2024
Human Resources represent a vital aspect of every organization. A company’s success is closely linked to its core components: the people. It’s impossible to run an effective activity if you don’t invest in finding the right talent for your company. The best of business plans can fail if it’s not backed up by highly-skilled professionals who can turn a vision into a reality.
HR is a much more complex domain than one might imagine. People often think that all HR managers do is take care of new hires, process payroll and do some paperwork in between. The reality is that HR professionals have to wear many hats and they are often the key element in developing a business. Since they’re in charge of the greatest resource in a company, they can dictate its direction and performance. So, it’s much more than recruiting and being up to date with the legislation.
Everyone relies on HR to build a thriving company culture, ensure employee engagement, solve internal issues, find new talent, train staff, innovate, oversee the smooth running of the business, just to make a short overview of some of the tasks involved. As an HR professional that has to deal with so many responsibilities at the same time, you can become confused and overwhelmed. But it’s time to put things into perspective and help you evolve in your profession. Here are some tips to get you started:
Know your company
The values and goals of your company should be the basis on which you build its culture. In order to create a strong brand identity and train people in its spirit, you must know all the ins and outs of the business. Otherwise, it would be like trying to paint without a canvas and all your efforts will be in vain.
Everyone’s role in an organization is unique and you must acknowledge that and understand how everything relates, how one activity influences another and how this whole network of relations works. Knowing everybody related to the company’s operations and the specifics of their activities will help you understand their needs and requirements better. This will give you a clear picture on how to develop the strategies that will help your company meet its goals.
Be empathic
If you work with people, you must have the ability to understand them at a deeper level. No matter what you have to deal with and regardless of the nature of the problem you have to address, always try to put yourself in the shoes of those who are implicated in it. Listen to all parties involved and try to keep an open mind when they present their perspectives. The problem might even solve itself through effective listening.
Empathy is essential for a good HR professional. You should get to know the people you work with, understand their background and what makes them behave a certain way. There’s a reason for everything and a fix for anything, but you’ll only discover that if you know how to connect with people. Only by knowing them well will you be able to help them perform at their true potential and learn how to value their individual abilities.
Communicate
In HR, everything is interlinked, and those working in the field usually act as bridges between one area of the company and another or between different people. Needless to say, if you want to become a reliable point of contact, you must have great communication skills. You should not only know how to communicate effectively, but you must do so on a regular basis. Maintaining good communication with the employees and the departments is vital for making sure that people are happy and all business operations are running properly and at an optimum pace. So, you should make it a priority to keep in touch with everyone and reassure them that you’re always available for an open conversation. Platforms like Matchr can help HR professionals streamline their communication and management tasks, ensuring a more efficient and connected workplace.
Make use of technology
Where would we be without technology? Not very far, that’s for sure. HR has seen its fair share of innovation and adapting to change is definitely one of the requirements for staying relevant in any domain. Therefore, you should be no stranger to technology, as it leads the way into a new HR era and it opens the door to countless possibilities.
Performing tasks like payroll processing, managing employee attendance or taxes can become infinitely easier if you adopt digital solutions and learn how to employ them. Specialized software providers such as Timesheet Portal can help you save valuable resources and streamline operations, leading to greater overall performance. So, you must keep yourself up to date with the latest technological advancements and learn how they can help you in your everyday activities.
Create a network
As mentioned above, you should always strive to learn new things and improve. And what better way to gain new knowledge and skills than by connecting with people in your area of activity? Being around professionals who are passionate about what they do can also inspire you to become better. People do become stronger together, so you must choose those you surround yourself with carefully. Creating valuable connections and becoming part of a professional community can help you move forward in your career. Think of it as a support system that will provide you with precious insights and give you the confidence you need to reach your goals.
Be a leader
If you want people to respect you and listen to what you have to say, you must practice what you preach, be honest and reliable. A good HR professional is more than a shoulder that employees can lean on or a problem-solver. He’s first and foremost a leader who believes in and lives by the values and principles he’s trying to instill in others. And a true leader leads by example and is an inspiration for those around him. If you want to educate people, start by educating yourself first and by being transparent.
