A human resource department is an invaluable tool for establishing a solid company culture because it carries the responsibilities of making the right hires, engaging the employees, and offering a reason for those hired to stay. When you work in HR, you may have little understanding of how influential you are, but when you realize the significance your actions and decisions have, you will be better equipped to make choices that positively impact business operations. There are several roles and responsibilities you carry that can help create a sustainable company culture and craft a working environment employees are excited about.
1. Become a Culture Consultant
You have an active role in shaping the culture of the company, and you should proactively communicate a strategic plan or areas of concern to the executive team members. Identify areas that are not aligning with the organization’s goals or values, and work with executives to implement a plan for change. If you have been too bogged down with the clerical and paperwork duties of your job to pay much attention to the culture, you need to step back and regroup. There are tools and resources available that can help make your job easier, and the HRIS Buyer’s Guide can help you determine which program is the most appropriate for your needs.
2. Establish Clear Definitions
When developing a goal for the company culture, the job of HR is to assist leaders with providing a clear definition that can be measured. Consider how the leadership either supports or thwart positive association with the definition, and make transparency a part of the conversation. Both leaders and employees will need to take ownership of achieving company goals.
3. Count on Employee Input
The culture initiatives that you will create should include feedback from the employees. You don’t want trite or cliché statements that are common in business practices, but an actual perspective that captures the essence of your company. The more the employees know of the goals and mission, the more they can feel included and identify with their purpose in accomplishing the goal.
4. Rely on Longevity
Sustainable company culture is going to be jeopardized by continual turnover and low employee morale. The start of the culture begins when you choose to accept the new hire and begin the onboarding process. Your goal should be to attract candidates who share similar value to the company brand and are committed to the long haul with the company mission. Using incentives is one way to keep your employees involved with sustainability efforts.
5. Strategic Alliances
Your job in HR will require you to fill many roles and become all things to all people. You speak to the executive on behalf of the employees, but yet you also share executive decisions and visions with the employees and oversee that it is carried out. To help navigate this back and forth relationship. Align the performance management process with the company mission, vision, and core principle. Establish reward or incentive programs to encourage positive behaviors and recognize employee effort in these areas.
6. Set the Example
Although this may sound elementary, it can be hard to always follow the company strategy when your personal involvement with a situation might skew your perceptive. If people see your questions or speak critically of management, the trust in the system will start to crumble. As the representative of upper management, you must present a united front to the employees. Only speak to the executives or leadership members in private if you need to raise a concern.
7. Focus on Feelings
Your workday might always give you warm fuzzies, but you do need to stay in tune with the feelings of the employees. Engage in casual conversation or stop and chat with departments to find out how things are going. Your job will be to inform the leadership about employees are feeling about things going on at the office, and proactively addressing growing areas of concern can help ward off a major culture crisis.
Take your responsibility as a culture creator seriously, and focus on areas of improvement. You have the potential to make or break a strong, vibrant, business environment.
