You will often hear business experts state that the people are an organization’s most valuable asset. Therefore, human resources (HR) is a critical department that can greatly impact your success as a business. HR is important for recruiting the top talent to the business, performance management, conflict resolution, training and development, culture, employee retention, and much more. Despite its importance, you will find that many firms in London make the same mistakes when it comes to HR, and this could be costing them in a few different ways. This post will look at a few of the main HR mistakes that London firms keep making.
Not Using HR Specialists
The biggest mistake that firms in London make regarding HR is not using specialists. HR is a complex and critical business department, so it is vital that you have this area of the business managed by experts. Organizations can benefit greatly by outsourcing their entire HR department to an expert, such as Peter Jones, HR consultant in London. An HR specialist will ensure that your people are properly managed, that you are legally compliant at all times, manage employee contracts, and more. This will also give you more time and energy to focus on core competencies.
Lack Of Training & Development
Another common mistake that is made in London is a lack of training and development. It is important to understand that your team is likely to be ambitious and keen to climb the ladder, so you need to provide them with training and development so that they can advance their careers. This is particularly important in a business hub like London as they could start to look for a job elsewhere and likely find one before long.
Poor Conflict Resolution
It is important to know that conflict can be common in any business. It is vital that HR have clear policies and procedures in place to manage and resolve these conflicts to keep employees happy. Poor conflict resolution can lead to a range of issues, including high staff turnover, a toxic atmosphere, and reduced productivity.
Not Collecting Employee Feedback
A business should always seek out feedback, and it is not just from your customers that you want to hear. Employee feedback can be immensely helpful as employees often have smart ideas about ways to improve or are aware of issues that management is not. Therefore, it is vital that you make it easy for staff to provide feedback, whether this is in an idea-sharing session or anonymously via a suggestion box. Businesses should also pay close attention to this feedback and take action to improve the internal operation based on the feedback received. Not only will this bring about positive change, but it will make employees feel that their opinions are valued.
Poor Communication Between HR & Employees
Good internal communication is key to success in business, but many London firms make the mistake of not prioritizing communication between HR and employees. You do not want your employees to fear HR and only hear from them when there is a problem, so you must create effective communication channels and ensure that communication goes both ways. Without this, you could suffer from a lack of trust, division between employees and management, low morale, and misunderstandings.
Failing To Manage Poor Performance
Business success relies on employee performance, so it is vital that organizations address performance issues when they arise. Brits are, stereotypically, not great when it comes to confrontation and difficult decisions, which results in many firms in London struggling to manage dips in performance. This could have a serious financial impact on the business, so it is something that must be addressed. This is why monitoring performance, speaking about performance issues as soon as they arise, and creating a team-based mentality in the workplace are important. Employees value feedback, so offering positive feedback and constructive feedback can be helpful and even help to create a stronger relationship between management and employees. Often, you will find that there is a reason why an employee’s performance levels drop, and you may be able to find a solution for them.
These are the main mistakes that London firms are making when it comes to HR. There is no asset more important than the people at a business, so mistakes in HR can be costly in more ways than one. By being aware of these common mistakes, you can hopefully avoid these issues and ensure that you manage your employees properly to maximize productivity, improve morale, avoid issues, and prevent high levels of staff turnover.