I talk to HR people all the time as part of my job. I have a lot of respect for HR folks. They are quite busy taking care of important stuff for the company. A few that immediately come to mind include…..
- Finding much needed talent. (When asked what the biggest HR challenge was, a panel of 7 HR professionals from Silicon Valley companies agreed that it was “demand for talent”.)
- Helping managers go through the hiring process.
- Welcoming the new hire and orienting them to the team. (and devising activities and program to make them stay, e.g 3 meals a day…)
- Advising management on employment issues. (with the legal department, of course)
- Staying on top of employee training, licensing certifications (and numerous compliance issues)
- Dealing with 3rd parties who help with Benefits, OSHA, Workers’ Comp.
- Tracking Leave Activity according to company policy.
- Working with managers to help teams improve performance and output.
The list goes on and on, and on.
It’s especially difficult for HR staff in small and mid-size companies. In some cases, it’s a department of one. How does HR “do it all”?
Using the right tools
When it comes to the “right tools”, many small and mid-size organizations are still using spreadsheets or reports from the payroll system, or (worst of all) using pen and paper and filing cabinets. SoftwareAdvice.com’s informal survey showed 48% still using manual methods of employee recordkeeping.
The result? Lots of time wasted – double data entry in multiple spreadsheets, correcting bad data, pulling information from various sources to create a government-required report.
Hey HR, how much is your time worth? How much time will you save by using a central HRIS for all your employee records? 10-20 hours a week? 300 hours a year?
According to Payscale.com, the median hourly salary of an HR Manager in the US is $18 per hour (as of Sept 20, 2015 with 2053 individuals reporting.).
Assuming an HR Manager wastes 300 hours a year chasing data, pushing paper, etc. that’s $5400 a year that the organization could use elsewhere!
Another area where HR does not have to “do it all” is utilizing Employee Self-Service and Manager Self-Service technologies. Let employees access documents they need, such as policies and procedures, employee manual, safety manual, employee directory and such via online portals. Let them update their addresses and emergency contacts as needed. And let them make their Benefits selection changes online – during open enrollment.
With an Online Leave Request and Approval Process, employees and managers can process the transaction without taking up HR’s time and attention.
In addition, managers can use online tools to share team goals, monitor performance, provide feedback and ongoing development of individual team members. HR doesn’t really have to “do it all”.
Support from Management
Perhaps the question isn’t “Hey HR is it time for you to let go?” Perhaps the question is really for management to answer: “Hey, CEO/COO/CFO – does your HR department have the right tools to help your company achieve its goals? Or would you rather continue to waste at least $5400 a year and hope your HR staff doesn’t give up and leave your organization? Oh, and by the way, employees and managers are unhappy because they are not getting what they need either.
The time not only to say THANK YOU to the HR staff, but provide them with the right tools and support that they deserve.