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How to reduce the strain on your human resource department

September 18 2020 - Of all the departments that make up a business, one of the most unpredictable can be the human resources department. Whilst in many roles, you can plan and prepare for a higher workload ahead of time, lots of the major problems that HR departments must deal with can often occur without warning. Whether it’s a colleague wanting to leave the business, somebody putting in a complaint against another member of staff or the need to hire a new employee, the tasks of a human resources leader are vast and complicated. Here are a few ways you can ensure your HR department runs smoothly no matter what is thrown at it.

Reduce the headcount

This first step is very simple. The less staff you have, the less likely you are to have problems (that is of course, unless one of the complaints to HR is that workers are under too much strain). Every member of staff will need looking after in one way or another, so by reducing the headcount in your office, you’re often directly decreasing the workload on the HR department’s desk. It also means that managers have fewer members of staff to look after, meaning they can often solve problems before they get reported to human resources.

If you’re the owner of the business, consider whether there are any departments you can outsource to another company. One great example of this is the IT department. Obviously, you must have somebody to repair your network and the technology connected to it when something goes wrong. If you find yourself not needing their skills every day, you could be wasting money employing someone in a full-time role. Instead, there are external IT firms whose services cost much less but will still give you the same level of protection. For example, The Southwestern Ontario based company Stronghold Services Corporation can respond just as quickly to a query. Their wide range of expertise can also help reduce the risk of your network going offline, protecting it from cyber-attacks and backing up your company’s vital data.

Hire the right staff

To make sure your business runs smoothly, make sure you hire the right members of staff for the team. By weeding out any candidates that are unmotivated, under qualified and unable to work well within a team during the interview process, you’re reducing the risk of needing to carry out disciplinary action against them. It will also reduce the risk of their colleagues leaving the business due to getting frustrated with their work. Consider giving any new recruit a three-month trial before offering them a full-time contract. That way, you can see how well they work within your team before committing to them being part of the team long term.

Organize activities

Another way of reducing complaints is to organize team building activities for your colleagues. Whether it’s taking part in a sport, an escape room or even learning a new skill like baking, take them out of the working environment once in a while to help them work on their invaluable communication skills.



 
 




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