Why HR is your valued advisor?

In some organisations, HR is still seen as the ‘poor cousin’ of our legal and finance colleagues. However, time and again, when there’s a crisis or a serious issue, HR are the resource that leaders leverage and lean on.

Even more so in the current Covid-induced ‘work-scape’ as leaders navigate industrial and legislative risks, fatigue and burnout, and leading people in new ways in a time of business uncertainty and upheaval.

So, what have we learned as experienced and trusted HR advisors that will help you and your organisation? From our experience, working across many different organisations, sectors and thousands of people at all organisational levels, we keep coming back to these 6 key points:

1. “We've seen it before” – whilst it is difficult to predict exactly how someone will react in a particular situation, it is possible to identify patterns of behaviour that will guide your people leaders to apply a range of targeted strategies to effectively address and manage workplace issues.

2. "Expect the unexpected" – and yet just when you think you’ve seen it all, people still surprise you. And it's often those you least expect. The good news is we can work with you to adapt to different scenarios and outcomes.

3. "People want to do their best" - for their own personal satisfaction as well as their team, clients and the organisation most people want to do well. When performance is not optimal it often comes back to how people have been managed including the support structures around those leaders.

4. "Most situations are redeemable if managed properly" – when things go wrong it’s imperative for your organisation to have access to a team of trusted advisors who can be engaged at short notice targeted to the issue at hand.

5. "Nail the simple things" - implementing solid foundational practices such as compliant and engaging recruitment processes, targeted and informative onboarding, ensuring employees understand their role, accessible, relatable and simple policies, procedures and guidelines, recognition when things are going well, and support when not, all add instant and tangible value.

6. "Dedicate time to articulating and creating the culture you want" – we’ve all seen the office spaces with buzz words on the wall, employees who can’t remember them when asked, and leaders who ‘talk the cultural talk’ (rather than ‘walking’ it). We’ve also seen people and teams repair and thrive after working collaboratively to define and develop their culture, improve communication, and to understand their role and where it fits within the structure and purpose of the organisation they are a part of.

Ultimately, it comes down to creating an environment where people feel like who they are and what they do makes them valued as individuals, not just a number on payroll. And leaders who lead in a professional, supportive and respectful way with the confidence they fully equipped to manage all things related to their people with advice provided in a practical, solutions-focused and non-judgemental way.

Keen to understand more about how your HR function can add value, reduce risks and make your organisation a great place to be a part of. We’d love to hear from you.