Involve - Human Resources Management

Involve - Human Resources Management This article will describe: What Human Resource Management (HRM) is Why HRM is so important to community and voluntary organisations What typical HRM processes consists of: o Sourcing and selection o Talent Retention o Team development & training How this could be relevant to your organisation in a skills based volunteering capacity Human Resources Management Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisation s most valued assets - the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business. In simple sense, HRM means; Attracting and employing people Developing and training people as resources Utilising, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and the organisation s requirements HRM is based on the assumption that employees are individuals with varying goals and needs. HRM takes a positive view of workers, assuming virtually all wish to contribute to the organisation productively, and that the main obstacles to their endeavors are lack of knowledge, insufficient training, and failures of process. HRM forces people managers to express their goals with specificity so that they can be understood and undertaken by their workforce, and to provide the resources needed for them to successfully accomplish their assignments. As such, HRM techniques, when properly practiced, are expressive of the goals and operating practices of the overall organisation. HRM is also seen by many to have a key role in risk reduction within organisations. Why Human Resource Management is so necessary to the community and voluntary sector? A HRM strategy is the HR plan, detailing the activities that the HR function is going to deliver. Even in small community and voluntary organisations where there is no dedicated HR function, actions to embed good people management practices should be planned and implemented. For example, a HR plan must address the training needs of employees if they are expected to develop professionally and take on expanded or new roles. Internal practices that resolve employee issues and build employee commitment in turn improve the client experience.

Many SMEs outsource their HR function because of resource constraints, this is a model that can be copied by non profit organisations by capitalising on the volunteering expertise of HR professionals. Many community and voluntary organisations engage with volunteer HR professionals on a virtual basis. Much HR work can be done remotely, online and over the phone, and then rolled out internally by staff. Typical HRM Processes In a nutshell HRM seeks to attract, retain and develop employees. A volunteer HR professional can help your organisation develop policy and procedures in all three of these key areas: Sourcing and Selection Job or Role Analysis: Job descriptions need to be reviewed and updated prior to a new recruitment drive to reflect present day requirements and incorporate acquired experience. Starting out with an accurate job analysis and descriptions will insure the recruitment effort begins on the right track for success. Sourcing Involves: 1. Advertising encompasses multiple media formats such as the Internet, newspapers, professional publications, posters or billboard advertising and events such as campus/graduate recruitment fairs 2. Headhunting is the proactive identification of relevant talent. These people may not respond to advertising but passive individuals can be identified and contacted directly to solicit interest 3. Employee referral / bonus awards schemes 4. Developing partnerships with suitable recruitment agencies or job search websites, and preparation of agency briefings for the two aforementioned suppliers Screening and Selection: Suitability for a position is demonstrated through CVs, application forms, interviews, reference checks and in some cases psychometric or business skills testing. In the present economic climate hundreds of applications may land on your desk so it is crucial that you have thought about the steps involved and have an appropriate process in place: 1. Have the resources in place to screen through CVs and respond to all unsuccessful applicants. Lack of response gives a bad impression of your organisation. Adding filtering questions to the application process can greatly reduce the number of applicants. An online or email only application process is faster and easier to manage, share and review CVs and cover letters 2. Once a list of candidates is drawn up the interview process begins. It is difficult to determine whether or not a person will fit in and match the necessary job criteria after one or two interviews. Developing a good interview process and interviewing technique is extremely beneficial, a volunteer HR professional can assist in the process and provide coaching to all hiring managers 3. Communicate clearly and give a realistic overview of the role. Involve a variety of different people in the interview phase. Make sure that candidates get a feel for the organisation, understand who their peers and supervisors are, and how the infrastructure works within 4. Actively manage a candidate s expectations, be transparent and explain the next steps in the process 5. At the stage of making an offer, make sure the discussions are healthy and productive and not confrontational, obviously. Be as informative as possible about every possible aspect of employment, whether it be compensation, potential change, benefits and so on. If somebody is expecting to work a 37-hour week, and you know it is normally a 44-hour week, have the conversation about why your company and

compensation is structured that way. People appreciate honesty and do not become disillusioned when they start 6. Once references are checked and a letter of offer is signed and sent, a job description and the role of an employee should be clearly defined in an employee handbook. This is the contract of employment, it explains the terms and conditions of employment e.g. health and safety, probationary period, insurance, healthcare insurance, etc. and it protects both organisation and employee in the case of a dispute Orientation / Induction A well-planned orientation or induction process helps new employees become fully operational quickly, integrated and comfortable in their new environment. Induction or orientation is a key part of the recruitment process and may last anywhere from 1 week to 6 months depending on the role. Induction is not just a nice to have it reduces the number of days it takes for employees to become productive and it reduces recruitment costs, as it vastly reduces your chances of losing staff in the early days. Most staff become disillusioned or leaves in the first 30 days because of miscommunication in the recruitment phase or lack of support in the orientation phase. Induction involves any or all of the following activities: Complete training on the organisation, its history and scope e.g. services, ethos and etiquette, financials, marketing initiatives, new developments etc. Introduction to the management team and staff, information on their roles and functions. It is important to take new recruits out to lunch with the team on their first day. Ensure desk space and computer equipment are properly set up upon arrival. Run through office processes and procedures, how things work, where to find things e.g. security, parking, a tour of shared drive etc. Take full advantage of first day enthusiasm, participate in as many lively conversations as you can to make sure that they feel comfortable and believe that this is in fact the right place for them to work. This sort of a relationship building can carry you a long way, especially if issues arise early on. Ensure that they leave at the end of the first day, week, and month with the same level of enthusiasm. Be careful not to fall into the trap of information overload in the first week or month and then ignore them completely or even worse the rest of the team forgetting them. Develop a multi-department team of people to work on a planned and multidimensional orientation. Build out a schedule alternating on different areas over the course of the first few weeks. This allows you to continually build on that enthusiasm from the first day. As the new employees settle in, solidify organisational goals and familiarise them with company terms, so they can talk about what the organisation does. Motivate new employees by clearly communicating any opportunities or career paths early on. For every single position, you should have some level of expectation as to when their time to contribute should start kicking in. Follow up weekly to make sure people are progressing to a position of responsibility. Ask Yourself? What are the pain points in my organisation with regard to recruitment, sourcing, selection and the induction of new employees and volunteers? Am I hiring the right type of people? Are my experiences with employees and volunteers good? What is my staff and volunteer turnover like? Could any of the above processes or skills be applied to my organisation? What solutions or projects could we outsource to volunteer HR professional? Talent Retention

Knowing what makes employees unhappy is half the battle when you think about employee work satisfaction, morale, positive motivation, and retention. Listen to employees and provide opportunities for them to communicate with managers. If employees feel safe, they will tell you what s on their minds. Your work culture must foster trust for successful two-way communication. A volunteer HR professional can help you understand and develop a positive working environment. Some things to consider are: A pleasant and open working environment, an open door policy, an approachable, reactive ethos, instilled across the board Employee recognition - special achievement aligned with business objectives, recipients can be featured on the website or in company newsletters Planned and regular one on one (weekly) meetings with team members plus regular team meetings Promote internal career mobility, advancement and promotions Team building exercises help team mates understand and support each other Where possible introduce company benefits e.g. a competitive pension scheme Performance Management System Many organisations have a performance management system in place today. Performance Management (PM) focuses on results, rather than behaviors and activities. An employee may appear extremely busy, but not be contributing towards the goals of the organisation. Without clear objectives an employee could have assumed another direction or focus that may not be a common goal. PM aligns departmental and employee activities and processes to the goals of the organisation. PM forces the team to identify: its goals, and the results needed to achieve those goals, measures of effectiveness (milestones) and efficiency (outcomes), and means (drivers) to achieve the goals. This chain of measurements is examined in regular performance reviews to ensure alignment with overall results of the organisation. Performance Management: Helps both employees and management to think about what results they really want and forces both manager and employee to be accountable and put their thoughts in writing. De-personalises issues and facilitates equitable treatment. Managers can focus on results, rather than personalities. Validates expectations, in today s age of high expectations when organisations are striving to transform themselves and society, having measurable results can verify whether grand visions are realistic or not. Optimises operations across an organisation s functions, goals and results become more closely aligned. Cultivates a change in perspective from activity to results. Supports ongoing communication, feedback and dialogue between employee and supervisor. Instills performance as an ongoing process, rather than a one-time snap shot or annual event. Produces specificity in commitments and resources. Provides specificity for comparisons, direction and planning. PM systems do not need to be complex processes. For example, a simple corporate model asks employees to identify and prioritise 4 main business objectives (MBOs) to strive towards on a quarterly basis. These MBO s are agreed with the manager. Regular update meetings are held along the way, employees rate their performance against each MBO at the end of each quarter. Each manager comments, approves or edits the rating. Success rates may be linked to bonuses, pay or promotion. Team Building

Creating high performing teams is about getting the right people, motivating them to perform, and focusing on the right things. All winning teams are a combination of attitudes, talent and personality. All great teams have a performance ethic that sets them apart, this is generated and maintained by a strong leader who sets a clear vision, acts as a role model, but allows for individuals to take a high degree of responsibility for their own actions. Getting to know one s team mates improves both individual and team performance over time. Familiarity can also become a negative influence, after a number of years following the formation of a team, teams needs to be reformulated. Write a Team Charter: Defining a team s charter is one of the most important things that a team needs to establish. This outline of what the team is about and what its members need to achieve should be clear and short, summarising key targets and dates for their achievement. Team members should receive regular updates on the charter and how they are progressing relative to goals. Team self-leadership is a concept where a leader exists within the group, but he or she encourages the team to lead itself. The key driver behind self-leadership is the need to give employees an increased sense of ownership and responsibility, while tapping into the ideas and suggestions of the entire staff. Characteristics of High Performing Teams: Teams with high self-leadership take more responsibility and decide how tasks should be done, when and by whom. Team working can help members to resolve conflict themselves, whereas when an external leader is always present and guiding, the same level of trust is rarely generated among members of the team. In addition, shirking responsibility and ownership is less likely to happen in a selfmanaged team where the results of the team are collectively monitored. Clarity of roles and recognition of each individual contribution with regard to the overall objectives empower a team s self-management capability. High-performing teams are those that value differences, with each member being clear about his or her own preferred way of working while recognising the need for alternatives. High-performing teams always celebrate success at regular intervals throughout a project as well as on its completion. Teams With High Self-Leadership Still Need Strong Leadership Successful team leaders frame challenges in a positive way, highlighting the importance of each team member s role in the achievement of the overall goals. Effective communication is an essential element of all high performing teams, short but frequent status meetings keep people informed. No team member should be able to say no one told me that. Feedback from team members needs to be regularly encouraged by the team leader, both in a group and one to one. Psychological Contract: When the experience is positive, job satisfaction levels, commitment and morale are boosted, leading to a greater sense of loyalty to the team. A team leader might consider some of the following questions below in establishing a psychological contract with a new team member. What are your expectations from me as your team leader? What do you see as your role in relation to those with whom you will interact in the team? What do you think will give you the greatest sense of meaning in your role? Do you understand our culture and how does this fit with your values? What would it take for you to walk the extra mile for the team?

What elements of work give you the greatest satisfaction? Characteristics of a Strong Leader Leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women; it is a process that ordinary people use when they bring out the best from themselves and others. An effective leader is someone who is perceptive and sensitive to other people and who brings out the best in them, through his or her ability to read signals in themselves and others. This ability is a central element that differentiates managers from leaders. Many of these skills can be learned and developed and often improve naturally with age: In fact emotional intelligence is very often more important in the making of a leader than qualifications or IQ. Leaders who establish mutual trust, respect and a certain warmth and rapport with members of their group, will be more effective and successful. To understand the emotions of others, you must first understand your own; what they mean and what kind of behaviour they bring out in others. A leader s mood is often contagious, having a considerable effect on those around him/her. A leader who has high self-awareness needs, firstly, to be aware of these moods and secondly, to manage them so that they do not adversely affect other people. Personal Leadership Skills Relationship Management: Developing Social Skills Developing others develop skills at boosting others Influence ability to use a range of tactics, understand that different situations demand different tactics Communication listening and delivering clear messages Conflict management mediation skills Leadership be a visionary, associate with and spend time with people who are. It does rub off. Building bonds ability to develop relationships Teamwork and collaboration promote cooperation and collaboration Strengths: integrity; ability to get along with others; industriousness; intelligence; business knowledge; leadership; education. Weaknesses: limited point of view; inability to understand others; inability to work with others; indecisiveness; lack of initiative; failure to take responsibility; lack of integrity. Ask Yourself? Is there a positive and nurturing working culture within our organsiation? Is staff motivated and productive, with clear goals objectives? As a team leader, in which areas could I improve my own leadership skills or management processes? Could any of the above processes or skills be applied to my organisation? What solutions could we outsource to volunteer HR professional? Team Training and Development Training and development take many forms, but when training is strategically aligned with the overall business plan and is delivered with the aim of helping staff to achieve the departmental as well as personal goals, it can have a powerful impact on productivity, performance and commitment levels among staff.

The annual training plan should be developed following a review of the overall business strategy, as well as conducting a gap analysis based on individual performance reviews. Training and development should be continuous, rather than ad hoc and tightly linked to career progression where possible, with employee input. By adopting a strategic approach rather than an unplanned and ad hoc one, training and development initiatives become more targeted, measurable and effective The average number of training days per employee per year in Ireland is between 3-5 days (IBEC HR Study 2006) and many organisations allocate a training budget per head. As an organisation protect your investment, make sure to support employees after they attend courses and learn new skills. Help them share, create consensus and implement any new approaches and processes with the whole team. Many Irish training organisations offer reduced rates to the community and voluntary sector when asked, and some are solely focused on servicing this sector (www.carmichaelcentre.ie, www.volunteer.ie, www.thewheel.ie, www.enclude.ie) Support can also come in the form of financial aid for study courses after work hours, as well as time off for study and exam leave. Decreased staff turnover and better morale are clear success indicators in this area. A significant change in Irish business has been the increase in the use of coaching and mentoring (IBEC HR survey 2006). This reflects the need to achieve behavioral change and the realisation that coaching now forms part of the role of many managers. Very often CEO s and leaders from community and voluntary organisations look to work with volunteer mentors from the corporate sector. These relationships are hugely beneficial and also create wonderfully interesting volunteer opportunities. There is a greater recognition now that no amount of excellent training and development will work on a person who is not the right one for the job. By investing more in the assessment at recruitment stage organisations reduce the incidence of getting the wrong person in the first place. In general, a manager encouraging team members to focus on and work to their strengths is more effective than trying to push people too much outside their comfort zone. This means managers must spend time investigating and understanding the unique and individual strengths of each team member. Ask Yourself? Is my team evolving, or is it seemingly working but in effect stagnant? Do staff members have the skills to perform all facets of their role? When staff attends training courses, does the team adopt new methods, and assist in rolling out change? Are you playing to your individual s team s strengths? Could any of the above processes or skills be applied to my organisation? What solutions could we outsource to volunteer HR professional?