Signs Your HR Department Needs an Update

The role of the modern human resources department is constantly evolving. Gone are the days of bureaucratic humdrum – today’s HR departments must be responsive and help guide your employees (and your company) to success. When your HR department is working, it can help take your business to the next level. However, when things start to slip, it can grind your workplace productivity and employee engagement to a halt. Here are three signs your HR department may need an overhaul.

Employees are at a loss.

HR is where employees go with their questions about benefits, company culture, and policies. It’s the job of your HR department to help guide employees so that they succeed in the workplace.

While your employee handbook may lay the foundation for your policies and provide information on the culture of your workplace, your employees will often need additional guidance when it comes to understanding and following those policies. Your HR department should be there to provide direction and guidance to employees when situations arise that aren’t covered by your handbook or that need more clarification.

Offering health, retirement, and other benefits to your employees is a significant investment for your company – one that boosts your recruitment and retention efforts, as well as keeping your employees healthier. If they are struggling to get the assistance they need with understanding the benefits your company offers, it may be time to consider an overhaul of your HR department. Check out Help Your Employees Get the Most Out of Company Benefits to learn more.

They don’t follow up on feedback.

How many times have you or your employees been asked to complete a workplace survey in the past? Now, think about how many times the HR department actually acted on that information. When your HR team asks for input from your employees, they need to take action on or, at least, discuss the results.

When employee surveys are conducted or feedback is sought without any kind of follow up, employees become disengaged and are less likely to offer suggestions in the future. Showing your employees that their opinions and experiences matter is critical to helping develop an open and honest line of communication.

Workplace changes don’t occur in a vacuum. Working in tandem with your company leadership and management, your HR team should help create a plan of action based on employee feedback. Remember, you can do more harm than good if you’re not following through on the information gathered from employee surveys.

Your onboarding program is sink or swim.

While some lessons are best learned through first-hand experience, throwing employees into the deep end without proper guidance is never a good idea. Developing an onboarding protocol that helps employees become familiar with the procedures and communication methods they need to succeed is the duty of every HR department.

Direct supervisors and trainers typically lead the charge in training employees on daily work tasks, but your HR team should take the lead in helping employees understand the procedures and communication techniques employed by the company as a whole. Ensuring that everyone is on the same page helps ease communication woes and promotes more constructive collaboration. Onboarding helps your employees learn the ways that your company conducts business and to find their way in a new work environment. Read What is Onboarding to learn more about developing a more effective onboarding program.

Looking for more HR tips

Want to stay up-to-date on all the hottest HR trends? Sheakley is your premier source for the latest HR news and information. Subscribe to our blog to continue to learn about what’s new in the world of HR.