Human resources is the part of a company that is supposed to help a business improve its internal interactions so that the organisation can function fluidly as a whole. The HR department also needs to make sure that relationships between managers, colleagues, and customers are fully understood from an internal standpoint so that there are no communication issues at the company.
Is your HR department building strong relationships within your business? To answer this question, there are some other important questions that you need to answer first.
Do HR Policies Account For Everyone Equally?
It is likely that the middle-aged mother working in your accounting department has vastly different goals and desires than the recent university graduate in your sales team in his early 20s. Despite the differences that may be present in your workforce, it is still your responsibility to make sure that your policies treat everyone fairly. Think about whether or not there are any kinds of people being excluded by your policy, and, if so, work to change the policy for the better.
How Well Are You Listening?
The key to any relationship, whether it is between two people or an organisation and a person, is listening. Is your HR department building strong relationships within your business? The amount of listening that you do will help you determine how strong these relationships are. Companies with HR departments that are building effective relationships will be staffed by people able to listen carefully to the needs and concerns of their employees and then take action based on what they hear. If your business isn’t already gathering feedback and information from employees, it is important to start doing so.
How Good Are Your Training Programs?
Another element of answering the question “Is your HR department building strong relationships within your business?” is evaluating your training. Training is critical to success, something that many Australian companies have recognised. With the right training, it is much less of a challenge for your human resources department to understand how to build the relationships that are necessary for success. Training programs can cover a wide variety of topics to help with relationship building, including:
- Communicating with various personality types in an office setting
- Best practices for giving praise and feedback
- How to successfully conduct a performance review
- Onboarding
These are just a few areas that will help you make sure that your human resources team is developing relationships the right way. Remember that training is not limited to your HR department; every person at your company can gain some insight into how to properly build relationships.
How Well Are Your Managers Leading?
The interactions between managers and their team members will have a huge impact on the relationships that are built at your organisation. Management must be able to respond to the needs of their team members while still remaining true to the goals of the organisation. The best leaders will not dictate and demand; they will create partnerships and encourage growth and creative thinking. One leader with the right skills can single-handedly change the way that your company handles its relationship building. On the other side of the coin, a poor leader who does not understand the proper way to communicate can wreak havoc on a company and have a negative impact on morale and relationships. Be sure to keep an eye on your managers to ensure that they are doing the right thing as it relates to relationship building within the organisation.
How Well Is Your Company Functioning As A Team?
In almost every company, teamwork is a critical component of success. Without people working cohesively at your organisation, you will not achieve anywhere near the level of success that you could with a proper team working to support each other. To enhance relationships through teamwork, make sure that you give your employees the opportunity to develop relationships with one another. This can be achieved through informal bonding or pre-planned team building days, which allow your employees to get more comfortable with their colleagues in an environment outside of work.
Is your HR department building strong relationships within your business? If the answer to that question is not a resounding yes, you probably have some work to do. By examining your HR policy and the way that it is carried out, it will be much easier for you to create a working environment full of positive relationships.