Human resource planning process after the Great Resignation is something of a minefield to walk through. While the global market deals with big companies railing out layoffs, mid-cap enterprises are wondering how they want to make the most of their HR assets. The answer is simple really: digital transformation is the way to go and for that, you will need HR transformation policies.
But Human Resource Planning process is more than just strategic people management. It is also about creating a safe workspace where people put out their very best without apprehension. In fact, many HR experts are now talking about the effects of the Great Apprehension in the wake of the Great Resignation. This is where the fear of losing jobs is driving down productivity.
The biggest issue here is that you will not see it until your bottom line dips and by then, it may be too late. However, now that you know that this is a thing, here are 5 human resource planning mantras you can string up to make your business perform strong with a motivated workforce.
Introduction
Lets go through these HRP process one by one :
Most employees are apprehensive about telling their managers and bosses about what they really think. In fact, it is really hard to get the truth from your team if you have not built up a frankness with them. This problem may build up over time and pose a real risk to the overall health of your business. According to McKinsey,
“OHI (organizational health index) research shows that decisive leaders who empower their employees (giving those closest to the work the autonomy to make their own decisions) are 85 percent more likely to improve the quality of organizational decisions, as compared with their peers.”
This means creating a healthy and open work environment is a strong indicator of long-term progress and value. However, doing this requires that you open up with your team and help them mention their personal reservations. Different companies go about it in different ways. One of the most common ways is the buddy system and this is popular with most HR coordinators and managers. You can also set up a regular feedback loop via quick F2F seshes each week. This is where each team member sits down with their supervisor to have a friendly chat and unload their work week experience. This is a good way to build individual rapport and works great for smaller teams. Further, you can incentivize employees to speak up by setting implementation timeframes for their suggestions. This reinforces their sense of place and confirms their value at work and should be part of your HRP process in 2024.
One of the best ways to create a good rapport with your team of business employees is to specifically mingle with them. While everyone knows that the office party is a grand old event, you can also use smaller events like a monthly out-of-office meet up or an excursion to create better cohesion within your group. This is a strong way to start making newcomers feel like they are part of the business too. Further, it enables you to understand where your employees are in life and develops a relationship that goes beyond the confines of the office.
For businesses that are based on creative activities like brand and marketing, the out-of-the-box approach works best. However, this is also beneficial for companies that focus on technical work specifically since it opens up broader vistas and better communication. Check out this NIH study for details on how time outdoors benefits staff members.
The way you set up your bonding sessions should follow in the same way as your managerial practices. There must be seamless cohesion between your business activities and your bonding activities. That way, employees can transition between bonding sessions and active working without hiccups. This also comes off as more genuine rather than a false effort to gain trust artificially.
Another great way to conduct bonding sessions is to create buffers in the management hierarchy based on interactions. This helps employees reach out to deputies or someone they may trust more if needed rather than the immediate boss or manager.
Reciprocity is one of the biggest factors when it comes to defining a healthy relationship. This is especially true of workplace relations when times are tough. A culture of mutual understanding and reciprocity is the exact kind of this that builds company loyalty in employees. They are much more likely to stay with your team if you enable them to work and acknowledge what they do. Moreover, they are also going to respond well to motivation since they know their opinions are not just being heard but also implemented when applicable. This kind of approach is the best way to cultivate a strong workforce with a high degree of company loyalty.
Further, brand loyalty in employees comes from understanding how the company is working to improve their lives and careers. A very smart option here involves developing short-term or project-based plans on employee input. While this process is sometimes difficult owing to challenges to authority and conflict situations it can create. However, this is exactly the kind of thing that brings strong leaders to the fore and builds the next step in your business’ internal promotion prospects. Now that’s a great way to bolster your strategic human resources planning! In the hands of a capable manager, conflict sessions turn weak areas into strong points with strategic brainstorming and employee involvement. Make this a part of your human resource planning strategies to get the most out of your team!
Aside from opening up channels of communication and bonding with your team offering them career growth options is easily the best way to win them over. In fact, the best businesses in the world always invest in employees by enabling them to plan their career paths with them. This is a sure shot way to have your businesses develop a strong internal workforce. This also ensures that your company gets the best from your employees at all times.
According to Business Insider, upskilling is the new way to invest in employees. As mentioned in this article, Ashish Kumar Singh, CHRO of Meesho says “So, the responsibility falls on companies to learn to be agile and stay relevant to help employees upskill.” This is a great way for companies to enable trust in employees who are losing momentum. Plus, it helps them explore possibilities when it comes to HR transformation options to stay upbeat with the market.
In some cases, growth options by upskilling are only part of the equation. Companies can also look into partnership options for senior employees since this is a great way to secure high-value talent in any company. In fact, this is a common practice in most companies in the legal and medical sectors. Companies can also offer shareholders and equity options to enable employees by giving them a direct stake in the market.
HR trends are a deep dive into how employees are feeling at the industry level. This is a crucial aspect of human resource planning process and HRM practices overall. One of the biggest ways to keep up with your employees is to talk about HR trends in the market. Not only are they are good talking points but also a good way to generate consensus. Able HR managers and HRP process specialists to use trends to develop strategic insights and bolster HRM functions. This helps in both internal promotion and external replacement and every company should invest in these practices.
Quality human resource planning process is all about understanding how to best handle your existing talent by building it up. Finding the right mix of talent, reliability, and productivity is a difficult process. However, it is also need of the hour and managers must adopt strategic human resource planning practices to make the most of their employees. Plus, considering how digital transformation is making waves in the work, a smart dedicated, and agile workforce is what every business needs. Make sure you read our other human resource planning articles to get more insights!