The value of Human Resources (HR) isn’t always readily apparent or recognized by business leaders. Many productivity-focused businesses overlook what makes HR such a critical strategic business partner. Stating it simply, every business is a people business – without people, organizations would be unable to achieve their various business goals. HR, is a key strategic contributor that is pivotal in recruiting, developing and managing the talent on which organizational success is dependent upon. Here are 3 Top reasons to actively partner with HR Professionals whether that’s through your own internal department or external specialized human capital strategists.
Recruit Essential Talent – A ManPower Survey of over 42,000 employers in 43 countries revealed that 40% of employers worldwide are having challenges filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent available in their markets. This means it’s more important than ever for organizations to not only find quality talent, but hire the right candidate. Without strategic HR involvement, organizations often rely on copy- pasting ads in local papers or online job boards or simply leave recruiting up to their managers; managers who already have competing priorities as their true focus is on driving operational results. HR can be instrumental in understanding the best resources to find a good talent pool and continuous pipeline of talent; establishing a systematic interview process that probes for work ethic, attitude, aptitude and motivation, in addition to determining if candidates have the right skills for the job and fit the culture of the organization. Without a hiring strategy or focused effort, odds are you’re not giving recruiting the attention it needs resulting in not getting the talent you need, or worse yet, there’s the chance you’ll hire a poor fit for the position or for the company leading to a host of challenges down the road.
Structure Competitive Pay & Benefits – As unemployment continues to decline and candidates become more confident in their ability to secure new roles, organizations must ensure that they offer competitive total compensation packages to not only attract but also retain top talent. One of the core strategic functions of HR is the development of the right total compensation structure to meet the needs of the business while ensuring that the structure and offerings are in line with appropriate regulations. Through research and analysis of current and upcoming competitive markets for fair and equitable pay and benefits, the right strategic HR partner can assist an organization in designing a well-structured program with a good balance of wages, benefits and rewards to maintain a competitive edge in today’s war on talent. Building the right total compensation strategy can prove to be a winning recipe in not only retaining and motivating employees, but also in attracting new talent to the organization.
Maintain Compliance – There are numerous laws and regulations that govern the employee – employer relationship. Without HR direction, it can be difficult to keep track of all the applicable laws and regulations to ensure that your organization is compliant. What’s more, with no true subject matter expert oversight, issues may go unresolved (and unnoticed by the organization) until it escalates to litigation. According to a 2017 study conducted by specialty insurance firm Hiscox, for 2016, US companies had a 1 in 10 chance that they would face an employee administrative charge or litigation. Moreover, 24% of these employment administrative charges resulted in defense and settlement costs averaging a total of $160,000.00. When you consider that in 2016 alone, there were over 91,000 discrimination and harassment charges filed with the EEOC the financial impact can be devastating to an organization’s bottom line. Having the right HR leadership or partners and more importantly heeding to their expertise and guidance, can assist organizations in its workplace practices are compliant thereby avoiding costly settlements, fines, penalties and potential harm to its reputation.
Don’t miss out on the value a properly deployed HR strategy can bring to your organization. HR’s ability to manage the full-cycle talent process and deliver maximum benefits to both employees and the organization is essential to business success. An appropriately engaged strategic HR partner is the bridge that links the functionality of people with the desired mission, vision and organizational goals.