Tobiloba Fageyinbo April 13, 2021
For many HR Managers, effective human resource management proves to be constantly challenging function, as being intermediaries between employees and the organization’s leadership can sometimes create situations of conflicting interests between both parties.
HR Managers are responsible for ensuring the well-being and advancing the capabilities of their team members. Equally, they work closely with the organization’s leadership to achieve strategic objectives of the organization and ensure all regulations and legal requirements are adhered to.
Becoming a successful HR professionals in the present business ecosystem requires more of a shift in career drives, mindset, and habits, in order to perform efficiently and positively shape culture.
Besides the usual tips such as inspiring and relating with your organization’s employees, here are some tips we have curated that can ensure effectiveness and success as an HR manager;
1. THINK STRATEGICALLY:
Aligning with the organization’s goals and creating processes to support them is an important point of value for every HR Manager. Being strategic and adapting effective processes/policies are key measures towards achieving this and ensuring employees fit into the organization’s culture.
2. ENSURE PROPER COMMUNICATION:
Being the voice of the organization’s culture, communication is paramount for every HR Manager. The ability to communicate effectively can often be a significant differentiator. A professional HR manager must keep the communication within the entire organization functional at every point in time and about all issues.
A HR manager must ensure healthy communication with employees to grasp a proper understanding of their challenges. This is so because changes in the organization have unique impacts on employees as well as collaborations between them, hence, it is vital that HR Managers maintains clear lines of communication.
3. SHOW GENUINE INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING YOUR PEOPLE:
This is very effective as employees strongly appreciate when their preferences, personality, interests, and goals are duly taken into consideration. Understand that the HR’s role begins with empathy and getting to know each member of the team can have a substantial positive effect and help you perform better as an HR manager.
As a HR manager, it is important to be adequately informed about the organization’s employees. Taking into account their personal and career interest or goals, can help to optimally motivate them in terms of their performance output and puts you in a great position with the organization’s leadership.
Get familiar with your employee’s roles, strengths, and weaknesses. Value team diversity and learn to develop a balance in it. This has long term benefits when it comes to creating the right culture, increasing employee engagement and productivity, and achieving the overall goals.
Please do not interact with the employees only when there is a problem and ensure they are aware that you are responsible for protecting their interests, well-being, and there to assist. In essence, they’ll trust and feel comfortable approaching you about any issues they might have.
4. COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY:
Working closely with line managers from other business units is really a best practice when it comes to developing appropriate HR ideas, policies, and practices. HR Managers have a responsibility to choose and support the organization’s work force across departments.
Collaborating to learn what the unique needs of respective business units are and how best you can support them to meet their goals can only help you be more effective.
You will become privy to potential issues or developing situations within the workplace as your input and support will be actively sought for. Hence, you can often provide guidance and advice that will stop the escalation of minor issues into major problems.
5. ADOPT THE RIGHT TECH TOOLS
Technologies such as Human resource information and applicant tracking systems are constantly being upgraded. It is essential to stay on top of new technologies, so to keep improving your processes and effectiveness as a HR manager.
It is true that not everyone is exactly tech savvy so if you fall into this category as a HR Manager, please take courses that can improve your understanding of these technology tools. Understanding the technological know-how has become a must for HR Professionals as these tech tools and systems can help you effectively track important processes, save time, and add value.
6. STAY FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE
As an HR manager in the modern day work environment, the ability to adapt to change is key to the overall success. For example, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, processes of HR managers were put to test forcing many to adapt quickly to the current realities with lots of businesses working remotely.
More so, methods and technology are constantly changing the way organizations do things. Understanding the realities and needs of the business as well as how you can support its objectives will enable you to see where you may choose to be flexible in your approach.
Lots of research reports provide evidence that having flexible HR practices have positive effects on organizational culture and yield higher commitment levels. A pertinent concern remains however, “How to adopt flexibility without hurting the organization’s bottom line?”
A few suggestions include; staying on top of trends and gaining new insights, analyzing events and culture within the organization, being open minded to employee ideas, and trying new methods to support workers’ development, etc.
Remember that your profession as an HR manager involves a lot of learning and influencing. Keep suggesting your ideas, developing new skills, and trying new practices.
7. HAVE A VISION
As with many management positions, having a vision is very important when moving into human resource management. Over the course of time, organization’s leadership will build an expectation of growth and innovation from the Human Resource Management unit.
Having a vision, which involves both your career growth as well as the growth of the organization is very vital. Know what you want to accomplish—and why. Consider the current realities and context of the organization with ample research and decide on what is achievable. Also, leverage your network to become a known expert/thought.
Share your vision with your team as well as the rest of the management teams to help them understand your objectives for the HR function and ensure you are working towards a common strategic objective for the business. You should also effectively articulate and outline your objectives to the organization’s leadership to secure buy-in.
8. RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR ROLE
HR now is recognized as a strategic partner, the focus is more on functions as; employee engagement, talent management, fostering innovation, breaking stereotypes and developing a collaborative culture.
Understanding the strategic definition of your role and then connecting these to the business plan will assist you in planning a strategy that is results driven and impacts positively on the organzation’s bottom line.
9. KNOW WHEN TO LEAD
As HR managers work with every department, within the business, it can sometimes be difficult to tell when to assume a leading or supporting role. Recognising when to let others take charge can help you to become more effective in your role.
Understanding your strengths, as well as that of your colleagues, is a great way to guide your decision making and set you apart. Focus on the fundamental responsibilities of your role, share your expertise, and be willing to learn.
10. FOSTER TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY
Successful companies are nothing but a group of people who have trust in each other. They believe in the potential that their team has. Thus, to bring maximum productivity from their employees, an HR manager should first have trust in them.
Believe in your team’s worth and earn their trust. Only through this mutual understanding and trust can the performance of employees be increased.
11. EXPAND YOUR SKILL-SET
Make every effort to increase your expertise. This could be through e-learning, sector-based seminars, training courses or simply taking up projects that are complementary to the HR profile.
This will not only give you exposure to different verticals but ensure that you keep growing. Constantly schedule meetings with the top management as this will help you understand if you are on track with regards your management’s vision of the organization.
12. COMPREHEND THE BUSINESS
It is difficult to capitalize on the human capital unless you have a complete understanding of the business. This means identifying the respective stakeholders i.e. the top management, employees, potential employees, and everyone else who falls under the corporate umbrella.
Understand their specific needs and requirements, you can then develop connections across board. If you have a clear understanding of the vision of the business, you will also be able to develop an apt culture that will help achieve the defined targets faster and easily.
Remembering these tips will help you to excel in your role as a HR manager.