Human Resources is the core of any company. They set the tone for the entire organization by helping to make decisions about who gets hired, how those employees will be compensated, and how interpersonal issues between coworkers will be resolved. The responsibilities of any HR department can be vast and, quite frankly, overwhelming, which is why efficiency is critically important. However, in a department infamous for being busy running around putting out office fires, getting ahead is easier said than done. Here are some steps HR managers can take to keep their department on track:
1. Set Goals & Priorities
Though it can be tempting to start tackling problems immediately, slowing down and assessing your office’s situation can save you time and effort in the long run. Set goals for what you’d like your HR department (or company as a whole) to achieve, getting input from other managers. Then resolve issues in order of importance, prioritizing those that could seriously jeopardize reaching those goals (or of course, employee safety).
2. Encourage Feedback
Encouraging employee feedback is crucial to keeping up to date on office happenings. Being aware of any issues or tensions can help you resolve problems before they get out of hand. Try sending out surveys or periodically walking around the office, taking care to get feedback from employees of all levels.
3. Use Social Media to Hire
Turns out, social media isn’t just good for socializing with friends. It can actually be an incredibly cheap and effective way of filling open positions in your company. About 7 in 10 millennials now use social media as their main job source, and over half of recruiters claim that social media platforms are their best source of high-quality employees. It also reduces time to hire by allowing you to communicate with candidates quickly. Social media allows you to promote your positions for little to no cost, and gives you the ability to directly reach out to individuals who you think would be a great candidate.
4. Embrace Technology
Automating office processes whenever possible can save your HR department a ton of time. Freeing HR professionals from menial tasks allows them to focus on the company’s more pressing problems. Some functions that can easily be completed using software include time tracking and payroll, for example. Also consider adopting technology to help you hire more efficiently, like applicant tracking systems (ATS) and pre-employment assessments.
5. Go Paperless
Going paperless is one of the cheapest and most effective ways of improving HR efficiency. HR departments at companies that save most of their files digitally slash 35% off the time they used to spend on paperwork. Furthermore, going paperless can save your company money on printing and mailing costs. Using online signing software, ATS systems, and saving documents to the cloud are all great ways to save your HR team time that they used to spend printing, mailing, filing, or just searching for documents.
Helping your HR department to become more efficient doesn’t just benefit HR, but your whole company. Planning, goal-setting, and automating menial tasks can free up your company’s HR team to tackle the issues that matter most.
