Back to the Basics
The human resources department is the pillar of growth for an organization. They are the mediators for the upper-level management and the rest of the employees working in the company. HR leadership promotes awareness and guide all levels of employment through the change and transition period within the organization.
Tip 1: Understand Your People
Empathy is one of the key aspects to happily co-existing with the employees in your organization. It is the ability to psychologically place oneself in another person’s shoes. As an HR person, you want to understand the needs of the employees without directly asking them what they need. Empathy helps creative a positive work environment, encourage collaborations and prevent conflict at the workplace. For example, this trait can come in handy when delivering bad news like firing an employee. When employees receive an email from HR requesting for a call about a “discussion”, it can often instill that dreaded thought of them possibly being fired the organization. This is when empathy comes in. An HR professional can deliver bad news in a gentle yet direct way without beating around the bush. The point is to be warm and detached at the same time.
Tip 2: Enforce Boundaries at Work
The key to setting boundaries at work is clear, transparent and upfront communication. Saying “no” is something a lot of people struggle with when it comes to dealing with their boss/teammates. As an HR professional, you can help employees plan out their work schedule so that they can say “no” if necessary. Boundaries help you maintain your work-life balance. We all agree that there is a world beyond the workplace waiting to be conquered. A lot of new employees don’t realize that politely declining a request for a valid reason does not downgrade their respect. New employees, especially the ones out of college, want to be appreciated and validated. It takes a while for them to realize that they cannot please everyone. As an HR professional, it is important to encourage employees to set worktime limits so that their workload can be completed smartly and efficiently.
Tip 3: Do Not Lose Sight of Important Communication
Communication is key in both personal and professional relationships. In terms of professional relationships, especially in HR, it is better to cut to the chase with the employee rather than beat around the bush. An example would be about a clear warning for the employee to improve their behavior at work. A potential scenario would be when an employee struggles to ask questions to their teammates about their work and where they are stuck. Sadly, this behavior would reflect badly on the employee’s work. As a result, HR would take this up and schedule a meeting with the employee to figure out where exactly they are struggling.
Tip 4: Always Plan for the Future
HR professionals should always have a plan for the future of their organization. This is most important in case of turnovers. Turnover is the rate at which employees leave the workforce and are replaced by new employees. Former employees always leave behind pending workload until a new employee arrives. HR professionals need to ensure that they have someone coming in to replace the former employee so that no one else’s plate ends up overflowing with too much work. An employee can only handle a certain amount of work. Should that overflow, it could overwhelm the person and cause friction in their mental health. Planning for the future can help prevent a heavy workload. Having a clear calendar of events can help with organization as well as work-life balance.