How to Make Your Human Resources Department Human Friendly

Brooke Chaplan

May 31, 2016

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Human resources is the fulcrum of all business activities in any company. It's the first encounter applicants and new employees have with your organization, and is instrumental in developing their entire careers and the workplace culture. Business owners must strive to make their human resources department as human-friendly as possible to maintain a good image and leave a good impression. The following are some steps to help you achieve that goal.

Proper Orientation
First impressions mean a lot, even in the corporate world. When employees start working for you, stress how important they are to your organization. Encourage the hiring managers to tell their employee how their work will fit into the scheme of the entire organization. This way they’ll feel important and take their first days seriously as they get started. Introduce them to others with whom they'll be working right away so they can start establishing business relationships. It’s also important to foster a proper work-life balance for your employees. According to HR consultant Jim Funk, founder of the Economy of Communion site, having an up-front focus on employee happiness and health can go a long way in your lasting image.

Open Communication Channels
According to Entrepreneur, traditional hierarchies in an organization can hinder innovative thinking. Instead of keeping information about significant changes to a high-level few, apprise the entire organization. Create a Suggestion Box system to encourage employees to impart their ideas or participate in decision making. This can serve as a motivator, as opposed to belittling employees for speaking up. You should also make HR matters up-front and accessible. Things like company rules, policies, bonuses and raises structures, and benefits packages should be immediately available. This way if you need to negotiate a winning severance package or correct rule abuse, you have already outlined and made clear what the expectations are.

Create or Participate in Team-Building Activities
Starting a sports team such for something like softball or bowling enables employees to get to know others in the workplace better so they feel more at ease. This can alleviate some of the tension more serious or quieter employees feel at work. Be sure to participate in these team-building activities as well. When you make yourself accessible and open a direct line of contact, the in-office politics won’t get in the way of new ideas or suggestions.

Encourage Employee Development
Create a work environment that encourages employees to take college courses or attend classes that can help develop their skills. For example, a marketing research employee may need to take a course in database management to help them perform their job better. Similarly, older employees may not have the same computer skills as younger ones, and offering tech courses with incentives can make your workplace flow and develop with changing times.

The key to humanizing a human resources department is doing all you can to help workers flourish in their jobs. And that usually starts with building the proper relationships with all employees. Start from the bottom up and see how far these tips get you with your entire workforce.