Siam Thai

In most organizations it is assumed that human resource management professionals are only dealing with salary discussions and the like. It cannot be farther from the truth! Mr. HR plays an important & critical role in the success of any organization. He is the person who increases employee efficiency, or at least works in the direction that boosts the quality of output. But now its time to shift gears and implement new age strategies or, in other words, modern hr practices.

It is often said that SHRM and its effectiveness is difficult to measure since intangible variables like employer and customer delight are beyond calculation. There are other hr techniques, like promoting IT capacities or sales skills and competencies that can give computable outputs and make it more attractive for the companies. But the assumption that intangibles cannot be measured isn’t true. There are methods which can be employed to properly assess the intangibles, the units for satisfaction and contentment, & express them in a quantifiable way. This means that it is possible to not only measure the intangibles but also prove that modern hr practices & SHRM does work.

Lets go through the following points and try and make sense of what you have been reading so far.

• Developing a human resource management strategy. Before you get down to strategizing the job the first thing to do is to make a checklist and find out whether all the required factors & components are in place. Strategy development generally necessitates the group to re-define and lay out an elaborate and systematic plan of action. This means that the team must recognize the target and take view of the popular sentiment or opinion. It is important to dig into the reasons to find out why a certain pattern has emerged which could pose difficulty in changing the trend and any future course of action.

No one has been immune to the recent economy lapses and its wave of ravages. In the large number of those affected, HR Managers and Businesses have not been able to avoid rough times. Companies, families and individuals alike should take proactive steps to help turn them around. Here are ten actions that can be introduced immediately and will help motivate your employees!

1. Sub-goals are a useful strategy in motivating employees. Make sure there are clear rewards when these sub-goals have been accomplished. An example of this is offering a staff party or lunch for regaining a certain number of accounts in one month.

2. Monetary rewards are always popular amongst employees. This can often take an employee’s minds off the tanked economy for a moment or two. Small monetary incentives, such as a $5 gift certificate for a coffee shop, for challenges around the office will motivate employees to work harder. These challenges can include the most criminal background checks in one day or the most tenant screenings in one hour.

3. Allow your employees to make rules around the office. Giving employees a certain amount of power helps increase morale. The statement “power to the people” really does help improve the way a company feels. While higher-ranking employees still have the ability to pass or decline what the others suggest, it still allows the general office employees to express their own opinions and suggestions.

4. Attempt to provide the office with breakfast at least once a week. If this is not something already built into your budget, as your management to insert this into the budget. For example, at a pre employment screening company, this small offering to your employees can help increase productivity in criminal background searches for the entire week, especially if the breakfast is held on a Monday morning.

An Employee Handbook is an important resource tool in ensuring employee accountability and legal compliance, introducing your organization’s service philosophy, and ensuring consistency in the way internal processes and procedures are applied. In developing Employee Handbooks for companies great and small, I have realized that there are seven essential sections that an effective Employee Handbook must have. They include:

1. Your Service Philosophy – This includes information about the Company’s Vision, Mission, Values and/or Standard of Excellence. It gives employees an understanding of where the company is going, how it will get there, and how they can contribute to organizational success.
2. What Employees Can Expect from You – Topics covered in this section should include information about the Probationary or Orientation Period; the New Employee Orientation Process; On-the-Job Training; Performance Appraisals; Merit or Annual Wage Increases; the Job Transfer and Promotion Process; information on Internal Employee Communications like Departmental Meetings; and your Workplace Safety & Security Procedures.
3. Policy on Harassment & Professional Conduct – This section should outline the company’s position when it comes to the prevention of Sexual Harassment and Workplace Discrimination; the consequences of violating company policy; and what to do if an employee feels they are a victim of harassment in the workplace.
4. Benefits & Compensation Procedures – This section should cover what is most important to employees, which includes how and when they will be compensated; how often salary increases are awarded; and the process for taking time off from work for vacation, sick, personal time, bereavement, holidays, or jury duty. It should also share information about employment classifications, as well as work scheduling and exchanging shifts.
5. Company Standards – This area should contain all the miscellaneous standards and procedures that employees need to be aware of like the company’s attendance guidelines; employee meal breaks; grooming and appearance standards; the use of company computers, telephones, and facilities; the policy concerning solicitation in the workplace.

Finding the ideal people for employment in your company is only the first step to creating a productive workplace. Companies of all sizes and backgrounds should strive to make sure that their long term and new staff hire positions are filled by individuals that not only have the proper skill set to handle their duties but the motivation to continue to improve.

Praise Often, Not Occasionally

This does not mean managers and supervisors have to make a daily ritual of telling its staff members that they’ve done a good job. The key is to avoid only praising an employee after completing a huge project or reaching a milestone. Positive reinforcement should be a regular part of the process. For example, let one of your employees know that you appreciated his/her feedback during a company meeting. Such a statement can easily turn their day from a good one to a great one.

Remind Them of Their Value

Employment agencies and those in human resources deal with job seekers and employers on a regular basis, which allows them to recognize how important the relationship is between a company and those they hire. If you’re the owner of a business who has been fortunate enough to work with a group of individuals that regularly contribute to your business’s success, make sure to remind them that their efforts do not go by unnoticed. This approach is especially helpful if you have an employee that has hit a rough patch or is experiencing frustration with their job. Explain how their job duties contribute to the success of the company and while there are areas where they can do better, they should take the initiative to be the best at their job they can be.

Encourage Growth

Think you are the actual reason why your staff member isn’t the solid performer that you believed that you hired?

Don’t misunderstand me. Your staff is ultimately responsible for their own performance. But there are moments where an employee may perhaps well be floundering due to your management approach. So, how do you know whether it’s your approach to management versus your employees skill set or attitude towards work is contributing to employee issues?

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Did you take the time to orient your employee to the workplace when you hired him or her?

2. Does your employee know your business goals and how his or her role fits into helping you achieve those goals?

3. Does your employee know what resources are available within the company to help them successfully complete the tasks that they are responsible for? Do they know where to go to get additional support or resources when needed?

4. Is there a current job description on file for your worker and does the employee have a copy of it? Did your employee have the opportunity to ask questions?

5. Do you pile on additional work to the point where your employee is always stressed and close to being burnt out?

6. Does your employee know what your personal business goals are?

7. Do you make your work expectations clear or have you left it up to your employee to second guess what direction you’d like for them to take with a task or project?

8. Are you sending your employees inconsistent messages that leave your staff unsure of your expectations?

If your answer is yes to even one of these questions, you may be helping to create a problem employee.