Employee Training - Start Up Human Resource Departments

Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by Sue McMillen

In my last blog I talked about the human resources vulnerability assessments that Achievant conducts. We also consult on the start up of new HR departments

HR and its related requirements change greatly with the passage of time and the growth of an organization. Initially HR duties are scattered and responsibilities are assigned to designated personnel throughout the company. As the company grows and these functions require more focused attention, invariably the company’s management realizes that it needs to set up a human resources department. Frequently the department consists of one or two people, and employee expectations can be overwhelming. This consulting service provides assistance on where to begin and provides resources to assist as the functions develop.

Objectives

• Keep the HR department’s mission and goals in sync with the organization’s needs and business strategy.

• Ensure legal compliance (which should decrease settlement expenses and legal fees).

• Identify and prioritize opportunities for improvement, as well as areas of potential future risk.

• Improve efficiency and productivity so that the department can better serve employees and customers.

• Identify “root” problem areas and fix them before they become more widespread.

• Find cost reduction opportunities.

• Improve employee communications and morale and establish better credibility.

• Implement and stay current with world-class practices by comparing results with other businesses.

• Measure and improve performance across the organization.

• Identify and correct any gaps between what is intended and what is actually being delivered.

• Increase the commitment of professionals within the HR department to seek change and focus on continuous improvement in all aspects of their work.

Initial Assessment

• Who currently handles staffing, training, benefits, compensation, leave requests, employee problems, etc.?

• What works well within the current processes?

• What could work better? (Consider factors such as time spent, legal claims, employee attitudes, turnover, productivity, direct costs, etc.)

• Are there any existing basic HR systems, such as policies, job descriptions, forms?

• What does management see as the department’s priorities? What do employees see as the department’s priorities? (These can be assessed through a formal process, such as department meetings or focus groups, or informally through conversation).

• Establish realistic priorities based on staffing, what is already in place and what is critical to the organization.

Focus is centered on: