To avoid the HR mistakes below, you need to make sure that your HR processes are thorough and up to date. If you need HR assistance, our experienced Brisbane HR Consultants are here to help.
Here are some of the most common HR mistakes that small and large business make, and how to avoid them:
Insufficient Training
Training your employees well is key to the success of your business. Training shouldn’t just be something that you give to new employees on their first day – it should be an ongoing process. Ongoing training will help your employees to increase their skills, become more fully engaged and expand the ways in which they can benefit your business.
By providing your employees with the opportunity to grow, you can rest assured that they are becoming more skilled and working at peak performance.
Having No Employee Handbook
An employee handbook can be hard copy but is preferably electronic, for ease of maintenance and distribution (see our EnableHR technology for more information). This handbook sets out the acceptable and expected behaviour of your employees – it will reduce instances of employee violations and assist you to handle such violations if they occur. The policies included in your handbook need to be updated and communicated to your employees on a regular basis. Even a few pages outlining acceptable and expected behaviour will provide your employees with tangible guidelines to go by.
All employees should sign a form stating that they have received, acknowledged and will abide by your publication and its policies. Having policies and plans in place to manage possible employee-related disputes or complications will reduce the stress, liability and cost on your business.
Having No Employee Files
All the documents (whether paper-based or electronic) related to your employees need to be kept in individual files. Items that should be included in every file include warnings, evaluations, hiring and termination paperwork, contracts, promotion paperwork and benefits information. These files will allow you to keep track of your employees and therefore be able to manage them more efficiently.
Ill-Thought-Out Hires
You should never rush a hiring decision, as Ill-thought-out hires can cause a range of problems for your business. Before you even consider hiring a new employee, you need to take the time to work out exactly why you are hiring and exactly what you need.
It’s unfortunate, but when it comes to hiring employees, mistakes are all too common. From poorly written job descriptions that attract unqualified candidates to rushing the interview process, hiring the wrong people can cost your business a lot of time and money.
To avoid hiring the wrong staff, you need to start with a clear and accurate job description that aims to attract the most qualified talent. A few hours spent crafting the right job description can prevent years of future trouble. You also need to have a consistent interview process and you need to stick to it.
When interviewing, you need to ascertain whether the candidate will fit in with your company culture, as well as having the skills and experience you need. It’s a great idea to get a few people in on the hiring process if possible, as when it comes to hiring the best decisions are often made as a team. Patience and consideration are of paramount importance when hiring – always resists the urge to fill a role as quickly as possible or to take the ‘easy’ route.
Once you’ve got an employee, take the time to help them settle into your business in a manner that is comfortable for them. The better you do this, the less employee turnover you will have.
Unfair Dismissals
Without the right HR knowledge, business owners are often unsure how to terminate or manage troublesome employees without ending up before the Fair Work Commission. Before you terminate an employee, it is paramount that you know the correct termination processes.
In order to dismiss someone fairly, you to need to:
- Have a valid reason for their dismissal
- Provide the allegation to them in detail
- Provide them with the opportunity to reply
- Allow them to have a support person present
- Ask the employee if there are any relevant circumstances that should inform your decision
- If the dismissal relates to poor performance, give them appropriate warnings before resulting to termination
Countless businesses have been forced to pay thousands of dollars to their unfairly terminated employees. Don’t be one of them.
For more information about the HR mistakes above, or for help preventing them in your business, please contact us.