If you work in human resources, you know how diverse and complicated your job responsibilities can be. From having to help employees make decisions for their futures to supplying information regarding benefits packages, the HR department has a lot going on. However, nothing seems to stump HR professionals more than where their loyalties lie, whether it be with the employees or with their employers. So to help make this balancing act a little easier to manage, here are three tips for advocating for the employees when you’re an HR professional.
Know That You Don’t Have To Choose
Before anything else, it’s good to know that although you’re working in HR, you don’t have to choose between serving the company and serving the employee. According to Crystal Spraggins, a contributor to TLNT.com, these two things don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, you can simultaneously do what’s best both for your employer and for the employees. Once you realize this, it’s then up to you to figure out how to strike the balance for your particular company, which may be different than how other HR professionals strike a balance where they work. But after you decide that you don’t have to serve one and ignore the other, your job can get a whole lot easier.
Effectively Manage The Talent
To help the employees of your company be the best they can be, you have to know how to effectively manage the talent that your business has on board. When you’re able to effectively do this, Susan M. Heathfield, a contributor to The Balance, shares that the employees will feel more at one with the organization and be better able to help themselves and others achieve the ultimate goals for the company. Some strategies for effective talent management can include finding the right candidates to hire, doing appropriate employee trainings, providing the right promotional opportunities and more.
Take Complaints Seriously
One area that HR often has to deal with is employee complaints. And while this can be something that you eventually start to tune out, it’s important that employees feel like they’re being heard and that their complaints are being taken seriously. According to Audra Bianca, a contributor to BizFluent.com, it’s HRs job to ensure that employees with complaints don’t turn into disgruntled employees who try to harm the company either from the inside or through tarnishing their reputation. So if this means that you need to help this employee take steps to become happier in the company, that’s often what you have to do.
If you’re in HR and aren’t sure how you can be an advocate for the employees while still fulfilling your other responsibilities, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.
Originally posted on April 3, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
