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HR is too important to be left to HR

by | Nov 10, 2019 | Improving Competitiveness, Management Issues, Profit Improvement

Over the past few decades, companies have developed Human Resources departments for a variety of reasons, which have made HR an everyday part of doing business.

HR is much more than a necessary evil

Most CEOs see HR as a necessary evil — designed to comply with increasingly burdensome regulations and protect their company from making expensive mistakes. They miss the opportunity to optimize their results because they’ve overlooked that HR stands for “Human Resources.”

Get beyond the administrative department you call HR, and stop thinking of employee matters as if they’re just a corporate nuisance. Take another look at your human resources — your employees — as the crucial assets they should be.

Opportunities, not burdens

As the CEO, you need to get in front of your people and let them know how things are going. What are you aiming to accomplish? Where do you need their help?

You need to know how your key managers are doing. Are they the right people for your company? Are they worthy collaborators for you? Do they have the skills necessary to carry your company forward?

Are they accomplishing their managerial tasks? Are there obstacles you can help them to overcome?

Creating a real connection with your managers

Company newsletters and official activities are no substitute for really communicating with your staff. Find ways to engage them in meaningful conversations.

Don’t hide behind the excuse that you’re giving your managers annual reviews. Those formal exercises may be necessary, but checking the boxes on the review forms is not a substitute for genuinely collaborative discussions about goals, accomplishments, surprises, disappointments, obstacles and opportunities.

Your collaboration should include:

  • Establishing meaningful goals and clear expectations
  • Creating schedules and priorities for meeting those goals
  • Developing a mechanism for you to discuss progress and obstacles
  • Providing regular feedback through a structured and scheduled collaborative framework.

Your biggest asset

Your company’s ability to deliver superior results for your customers is the only thing that will set you apart as an added-value resource. So your staff members are the only thing that separates you and your company from the rest of your competitors.

Employees: you choose

Your employees are your biggest asset — or your biggest liability.

As CEO, it’s up to you to decide which they’ll be.

You have a big investment in your people, and they’re utterly crucial to your success. Make certain you have the right ones, they’re trained properly, given clear performance objectives and the resources they need to succeed. They need feedback on how they’re doing, recognition for their accomplishments and reorientation in areas where they’re falling short of expectations.

It sounds like a daunting list of to-do’s, but there’s no way around it.

Your employees are your biggest asset — or your biggest liability. As CEO, it’s up to you to decide which they’ll be. If you want to get the most from your staff — treat them as human resources, not just an assignment from HR.

Regardless of the path you take, HR is far too important to be left to HR.

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