It makes no difference whether you’re just a simple entrepreneur with a small startup company or a corporate executive with hundreds (if not thousands) of employees, when it comes to the value of our company, a lot of it stems from the happiness of your employees and the abilities of those in your HR department. Of course, it would be impossible to keep track of everyone in your company on your own which is why the HR department is there. Not only do they find and recruit top talents, but they work hard to keep the employees happy, which, in turn, results in higher productivity.
Improve working conditions
Any successful business tactic has an important decisive factor: enhancing the productivity of the company’s employees, and one of the best ways to do so is to ensure that everyone’s comfortable while they’re on the job. There are also certain things that can’t be overlooked, such as plenty of natural light, access to healthy, nutritious meals and tea or coffee, and ergonomic office furniture. Employees usually complain about bad lighting and for good reason: too much or too little light lead to eye strain whereas harsh artificial lighting can easily trigger headaches or even migraines in some people. When employees don’t have headaches and back pain, the time they spend in the office will be more comfortable for them and as a result, they will be happier and more productive.
Making employees comfortable
It’s not just that the employees should have good working conditions, but they should also feel welcome and comfortable in their offices. The office will never be their home, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make it as welcoming as one. HR departments know that the conditions people work in have a great impact on their mood and productivity, so they should focus on creating comfortable office interiors with good lighting, fresh air, and comfortable chairs. What is more, the department should encourage flexible working hours because this will allow employees to come and go at the times when they’re most comfortable without worrying about being late.
Keeping everyone contented
Another important HR strategy which will certainly boost productivity is trying to keep everyone happy and content. Any organization that has happy and satisfied employees take great pride in that, which is one of the reasons why companies such as Google and Coca-Cola often show the inside of their offices and share with the world exactly what benefits their employees get by working for them. When everyone is contented, there will be fewer deadline breaches and fewer sick leaves, and more employees who focus on their work and feel good about contributing to the execution of the company’s mission. Notice their efforts and praise them for it with simple ‘thank you’ cards but also with bonuses and awards.
Keeping an eye on everyone
It would be impossible for the owner of the company to lead the company, communicate with all departments effectively and on top of that keep track of every single employee. For smaller companies, this might even be possible, but when you have a big corporation, you have to rely on your HR department. They will do their best to ensure that everything is in order and that employees are productive and satisfied, and a great way to do so is through employee appraisal. A number of HR professionals state that the focus of their job is to set up policy, procedures, and programs which will help them organize people management a bit better, and they try to implement employee appraisal programs as well. This is because such programs have been proven to boost employee output and help them stay focused on their work.
Conducting surveys
Of course, in order to know what employees need, there has to be some sort of survey which will help the HR department target problems and offer solutions. In case your company doesn’t already have systems in place, you can find useful tips on how to create surveys on the internet. Never skip important questions, no matter how obvious they might seem; and make sure you ask whether or not the employees are happy at work. They should also be able to understand the company career ladder and promotions because it will allow them to get a better position in the company in the future. You can ask them to rate their work-life balance and to give their opinion on the meeting frequencies and flexible working options.
Focusing on employees’ happiness
A recently published study by researchers at the University of Warwick sheds a bit more light on the connection between employees’ happiness and increase in productivity. Unhappy employees were found to be 10% less productive than their happy coworkers, and this information goes to further prove that happiness is one of the goals which every company should strive for. It’s a well-known fact that positive emotions invigorate people and this is something that HR departments know well. This is the reason why every HR professional should strive to create a culture of mindfulness, communication as well as collaboration because these values will significantly improve morale and motivation in the workplace.
Severance benefits
Companies should care for employees even when they decide to leave and look for a job elsewhere. There should be adequate severance benefits provided for all employees and they should include career transition services too. There are usually multiple negative consequences which are commonly associated with workforce restructuring and the ones that stay are very much aware of how their employers treat those who are leaving during layoffs. When they witness encouragement and support, they will be less likely to worry about the future and be more focused on meeting business goals.
When it comes to roles and responsibilities of the HR departments, they are indeed many. Recruitment aside, one of their most important concerns is to keep everyone on the team contented. The department should do everything they can to ensure that the benefit plans for everyone are in order and that the environment people work and train in is pleasant and enjoyable. In order to be the bridge between the employees, employers, and managers, they should be well-informed and have a good strategy