by Kim Jimenez
When talking about your organizational goals, is every department within your company on the same page? Have you shared or even included all departments in goal setting and strategy development? Does your Human Resources department act as part of the strategy team for your community and your company or do they perform as an auxiliary function?
People can make or break your organization. The front-line employees who interact with the public. The CNAs and nurses who care for your residents. The receptionist who greets everyone who walks into your office or facility. The marketing team who puts out the marketing material and branding that can draw in new business (or not). Your top management and executives who define and plan the company brand and strategy. So, don’t you think the department responsible for recruiting all these people need to be an integral part of the company strategic plan? Absolutely!
Think about what your Human Resources Department is responsible for:
• Recruitment and Hiring
• Orientation/Training/Development
• Compensation
• Benefits
• Payroll
• Health and Safety (Risk Management and Worker Protection)
• Employee Engagement (Retention)
• Equal Opportunity Employment Compliance
In addition, each of these activities can be broken down into multiple tasks. Your HR department is responsible for your staffing, the performance of your staff, legal compliance for your organization and keeping your employees happy. No small task!
So, while you expect your HR department to perform in this way, they can sometimes get boxed in to just performing task after task, putting out fires day after day. Do they know what you expect of them? Do you truly know what to expect out of your HR department? Do they understand the strategy of the organization in order to hire the right people for the job? Can they explain your brand, culture and goals to potential employees to be sure they understand the job expectations? If you are experiencing high employee turnover, you really need to explore the answers to these questions.
Make sure you include your HR manager in strategy development. Coordinate efforts between organizational goals and the people who must perform to achieve these goals.
Kim Jimenez has been a regular contributor to the MDS website and MDS blog for the past 15 years. Kim holds a supervisory position in a Fortune 100 company and has experience with a multitude of employee, training and leadership issues. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree concentrated in Human Resource Management from Southern New Hampshire University