You might have blinked and missed the first quarter of 2022 and while it may seem like five minutes have passed since you mapped out your big goals at the end of last year, it’s actually a good time to stop, take stock and refocus.
Need some pointers around where to get started? Here’s our checklist for assessing whether your HR planning is on track.
- Have you made provisions for new legislation?
It can be hard to keep up with changes in employment law, but it’s absolutely non-negotiable. Neglecting this area and your business could seriously pay the price, you must regularly be pinpointing relevant changes and adjust your policies and practices accordingly.
- Is your paperwork in order?
Having a paper trail of key HR decisions might seem like a dull admin task, but if you don’t put some time into creating and filing the right documents, then you may live to regret it. If you run into any problems, your paperwork could make a huge difference in how you rectify the situation.
- Have employees had performance discussions?
If you only discuss performance with your employees once a year, then you’re seriously missing out on many opportunities. Encouraging your team to thrive should be part of day-to-day processes, but at the very least, formal conversations should be carried out and recorded once a quarter.
- Have you planned the summer holiday schedule?
The second quarter tends to be the time when employees start to think about booking their summer leave. The weather’s getting warmer, and everyone wants to enjoy a little downtime. Make sure that you update any policies that you might have if necessary and consider operational demands in advance.
- Have you identified training needs?
Some of your employees may need to brush up on their knowledge and skills to keep moving toward your goals. Work out where the gaps are and create your plan, so you know exactly what you’re going to do about it. The options are plentiful and include formal training, coaching, mentoring, job shadowing and more.
- Have your managers been brought up to speed with your priorities?
It’s pointless setting wider strategic goals if you aren’t going to make sure that the right people are on board and know how their work plays a part. The end of the quarter is a good time to bring your management team together for a catch-up and refresh.
- Have you collected feedback from your employees?
Identifying potential issues before they get out of hand could save you headaches later in the year. An employee survey could be a great option here. Just make sure that you act on your findings!
- Have you arranged a discussion with your payroll provider?
The end of the quarter coincides with the end of the financial year, so if you outsource your payroll, it makes sense to have a chat with your provider so you can ensure that you’re both on the same page. There may be loose ends that need to be tied up, and it’s always best to action these matters in a timely fashion.
- Have you commissioned an HR audit?
It can sometimes be hard to take a critical look at your operations. You might feel inclined to brush tricky issues under the carpet, especially if you’re not quite sure how to tackle them, so why not let HR Revolution carry out an HR audit – it is an ideal way to assess the set-up and compliance of your HR function.
After reading through the checklist, you might have realised that you missed the mark at least once or twice when it comes to keeping your people’s practices in order. When you are running a business, you’ve got a lot of plates you need to keep spinning; between acquiring new customers and clients, managing the finances, and everything else that needs your attention, HR can sometimes get put on the backburner.
However, HR isn’t just another task to add to your to-do list, it can have a real and very tangible impact on your bottom line and at the most basic level, it can ensure that you don’t face costly damaging legal cases against your business. Embrace it, as its full potential could increase your profits, create a much happier and more productive workforce, and help you to smash through your strategic goals.
So, isn’t it time that you started giving your HR practices the dedication that they really deserve? If you know that you need to make the change, but you’re not sure what to do first, then get in touch with HR Revolution, we can help you to establish a plan of action that will get your business to where you want and need it to be. Drop us an email at hello@hrrevolution.co.uk to get started.
