Building a Strong Foundation: Key HR Fundamentals for Success

My journey as a consultant started off informally. Having a lengthy career as a senior HR professional and leader, individuals in my personal life would often contact me to ask my opinion about a people related matter at their workplace. Over time I started to notice a trend about the topics being raised and the advice that I was giving - the issues were often related to a difference of expectations between the individual worker and the employer. Whether the issue was regarding work performance, conduct in the workplace, or the application of standards, my expertise was sought out to help provide an outcome that could be accepted by both parties. In the discovery phase of problem solving I would ask them to share with me the organizations documented policy or procedure andwould often uncover that these were not in place. I would also find that many leaders were unfamiliar with best practices and were not aware of minimum requirements they had an obligation to meet. While I worked to support them to navigate the situation at hand, I routinely made recommendations on how to prevent a similar problem from occurring again. These are three fundamental principles I regularly share with clients:

1. ensure your policies are established and up to date

2. define and communicate key procedures

3. familiarize yourself with basic employment standards laws and legislation.   

Corporate Policies:  Policies are the rule book for your organization. Even a workplace with only a handful of employees benefits from documented and communicated internal policies - they establish a minimum set of expectations, provide clarity in grey areas, and help build a culture of norms and values that everyone can follow. When there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what occurs, the policy or procedure can then be the first point of reference to confirm what should have happened. Additionally, some policies or procedures can highlight how you may choose to exceed standards, establishing a best practice for a positive employee outcome which you can  use to promote your organization as a place to work.   

There are many policies that should always be in place and every organization should consider implementing the following basic policies: Confidentiality, Code of Conduct, Fit For Work, Human Rights, Workplace Violence & Harassment, Privacy, Security, Travel & Expense Reimbursement, andTechnology Acceptable Use & Internet Safety

Contact a qualified HR professional to help you to establish and roll out corporate policies.

Process Documentation: Most often than not, discord between an employee and management occurs due to lack of clarity on internal processes and task ownership.  Without documentation, individual workers are left to confirm steps based on what another individual may have trained them on (right or wrong), based on what they learned from another role, or based on an assumption. A lack of internal controls in key areas can leave a business vulnerable to costly mistakes. Core procedures that are fundamental to the business should be documented with a standard operating procedure (SOP) and include a decision-making framework (DACI).  

An HR Consultant can help you establish up to date and best practice procedures to help you manage your workforce, ensure compliance, enhance employee satisfaction, and promote a positive organizational culture. Key people focused procedures to establish, assign ownership, and clearly communicate include:

Recruitment and Selection:

• Develop clear job descriptions and specifications

• Implement a structured interview and selection process

  
  

Onboarding:

• Create a comprehensive onboarding program to integrate new hires

• Provide necessary training and resources for new employees

  
  

Compliance:

• Maintain accurate employee records and documentation

• Ensure adherence to labor laws and regulations

  
  

Health and Safety:

• Implement workplace safety protocols and emergency procedures

• Conduct regular safety training and drills

  
  

Employee Relations:

• Clearly communicate a complaints process where employees can share their concerns and establish a mechanism for investigations into matters of harassment, violence, or discrimination

• Establish a framework for managers to follow when needing to respond to worker conduct or to set expectations of performance

  
  

Performance Management

• Create a performance appraisal system to evaluate employee performance

• Set clear performance goals on a regular basis (quarterly, annually etc) and provide regular and documented feedback

• Establish a progressive discipline process for times when an individual is not meeting expectations

  
  

Training and Development

• Establish how and when the business will support continuous learning opportunities and career development programs

  
  

Termination

• Outline the rationale required for a manager to recommend termination (with or without cause)

• Create a communication plan for notifying the worker that their employment is ending

  
  

Exit Management

• Develop a structured offboarding process for departing employees which includes all the steps to be taken on a worker’s last day (such as what to say, process for returning equipment, timing of system access shut off, when and what to communicate to stakeholders etc.)

Legal and Legislative Compliance: There are so many good reasons for being aware of and abiding to standards established to protect workers.  Reputable employers often don’t intend to deny a worker their right, but a lack of knowledge and awareness of what is required can lead to negative outcomes. Remember that regulations change by jurisdiction, certain industries are regulated by federal vs provincial labour rules, and collective agreements will apply in unionized sites. 

Working with an established HR professional to review that your policies and procedures are compliant will help to protect your employees and safeguard your businesses interests and reputation.  Adhering to employment laws reflects a company's commitment to ethical practices and corporate social responsibility. It builds trust with employees, customers, and the community.  Non-compliance can lead to legal proceedings, costly fines, or damage to your company's reputation. Some key standards all leaders need to be familiar with are:

• Payroll, tax, and finance laws to ensures that your employees are paid correctly and on time, and that all necessary deductions are made.

• Regulations on statutory minimums including minimum wage, overtime pay, vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, pay in lieu of notice, and severance pay. These regulations vary greatly by jurisdiction and some positions and industries are excluded from certain aspects.

• Rules and guidelines on job protected leaves such as maternity and parental leave, family responsibility leave, or compassionate care leave.

• Anti-discrimination and duty to accommodate laws that protect employees from unfair treatment based on race, gender, religion, disabilities, or other protected characteristics.

• Workplace health and safety rules (which vary by jurisdiction, industry and employer size) that mandate required worker training