When launching a business, an HR staff is usually the furthest position from a business owner's mind. Whether your business decides to just do without or outsource the department to start, at some point in your growth, you'll find yourself asking, "Wouldn't hiring an HR staff be easier?" If you've found yourselves in any of these six situations, it may be time to hire your own HR staff.
You Need A Better Onboarding/Training Program
In the early days of a company, training is an on-the-job affair. Businesses are small enough that it's easier to integrate a new staff member into the mix rather than create a whole system for onboarding. Once a business grows, that onboarding and training program becomes essential for success. When your business identifies a real need for ongoing training and onboarding, it's time to consider bringing on an HR team to streamline and optimize the process.
You Find Your Business Violating the Law
HR doesn't just provide training and upkeep documentation; they also have a solid grasp of local, state, and federal labor laws. While a workforce management system can stop flagrant abuse of federal law, having an expert on-hand to address potential violations and understand what laws your business must meet as it grows can be a lifesaver. From reducing audits to preventing violations, an HR staff can save a business time and money through their understanding of labor laws.
You Waste Too Much Time Hiring
Hiring is a tedious process and one that's bogged down by unqualified resumes, scheduling issues, and salary negotiation. When managers are expected to shoulder the entire burden, businesses can fall behind. Not only are managers less effective with their job duties but because hiring is not a normal job duty, it takes that much longer. An HR staff can provide managers with a specific timeline to interview and hire new staff. By providing structure, they can speed up the process and only present appropriate candidates to managers.
Employee Job Duties Are Getting Obscure
New businesses often have jack-of-all-trade positions. The bookkeeper also manages job postings. The lead sales rep takes care of the filing. The owner also moonlights as the courier. This is great for a start-up but at some point, business owners find this obscurity can hurt the business. When each employee has defined job duties, replacing them in the event of termination, resignation, or illness is easier. An HR staff can create and outline employee job duties to make hiring easier.
Employees Don't Know Where to Go For Help
The duties of an HR professional go well beyond the scope of understanding workplace laws and benefits; they also serve as the face of your organization. An HR professional is the point person for employees to turn to when they have questions about policies, want clarification on laws, and need help with their benefits. Employees need a single source for information and an HR department can provide that service.
Your Chain of Command isn't Functioning
In a perfect organization, the chain of command works flawlessly. Employees turn to their managers who turn to their VP or CEO and issues are resolved through that system. Unfortunately, in a working system, there are some issues that need an outside voice to resolve. An HR department provides a third-party for employees to voice concerns which can be especially helpful if an employee feels uncomfortable speaking directly to their manager. If your chain of command isn't functioning effectively, it may be time to start or expand your HR department.
