A well-run, positive-culture workplace reflects directly on the efficiency of the human resource department. If your HR guys are doing their job well, then the company will have well-trained, satisfied workers who enjoy their jobs.
But what happens when HR drops the ball? What is the biggest mistake the human resource department can make? They have a ton of decisions to make.
How do they conduct conflict resolution? Do they raise basic salaries above minimum wage? What’s the company’s stance on a work-from-home practice?
Keep reading to learn about three missteps human resources can take that will affect the company culture fit and negatively impact their office.
1. Ignoring Flexible Work Environments
Even before the surgeon general recommended we all stayed home, more companies were offering the perk of flexible work practices. Employees were staying home to work or were working remotely, wherever they could find an internet connection.
The challenge today lies in the expectation that all jobs will offer a flexible work environment. The success of a flexible work environment lies in having a clear policy and clear work expectations. When you give employees freedom and flexibility, you help develop healthy work culture.
The success lies heavily on clear criteria and performance appraisals. You will quickly see who isn’t working when you have clear objectives every day.
2. Eliminating Performance Appraisal
Employees and businesses alike thrive when they receive frequent appraisals. The appraisals should have two parts: what the employees are doing well and what the employees can do better. Most people want to know how they can improve as an employee so they can also improve as people.
Most companies conduct standard performance appraisals once a year. This needs to happen more often.
With that said, if you’ve only done reviews based on what employees have done wrong, you will have some pushback in this area. Employees won’t want regular appraisals. But regular appraisals will give your employees a shorter time frame to show improvement, and you can praise them for this.
3. Ignoring Substance Abuse
Drug use has become more common among the working class. Recent studies indicate that approximately 14 percent of Americans meet the criteria for an alcohol abuse disorder.
Uncontrolled substance abuse will ultimately impact the work done at your office as well as the overall office culture.
Human resource managers make serious missteps when they fail to recognize the potential for substance abuse among their workers. Many offices will offer employee assistance programs. Yet the programs are effective only if individuals use them, and many avoid them for fear of being stigmatized as an addict.
Supervisors with poor training often allow substance abusers to continue to work without intervention until the employee fails a drug test.
Maintain Healthy HR Practices
Healthy HR practices will avoid these three mistakes. A good supervisor understands they’re managing people and not an office. This means they care enough about the individuals to help them succeed and grow as professionals.
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