The Dos and Don'ts in the HR Industry

Listed below are seven things every HR professional should do or avoid if they want to be successful in the industry.

Man on Video Call« Back to Articles
 
When it comes to launching a career in human resources, no two routes are ever the same. There are countless ways to make a difference, ranging from contributing to an organisation's growth to having a positive influence on the people who work there.

Human resource management entails much more than resolving internal conflicts or providing an attractive work environment to prospective employees. It is about developing the employees, fostering employee engagement, and implementing ethical business practices.

Moreover, the unpredictable environment in which human resource management operates requires you to adapt to remain relevant. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the field, there are a few crucial points to remember if you want to succeed.

Here are seven things every HR professional should do or avoid, to stay effective and competitive in the industry.

Do: Communicate Regularly and Effectively

Every business relies on effective communication to thrive and achieve its strategic goals. Communication reflects the company's values and priorities as it connects with both internal and external groups, primarily employees, and targets customers.

HR professionals are typically the ones who deliver critical messages regarding onboarding, corporate culture, compensation, benefits, and company policies. Effective communication may boost engagement and productivity while preventing misunderstandings.

As the voice of your organisational culture, here are some of the ways you can improve workplace communication:

• Gather and act upon employee feedback.
• Align your internal communications strategy with your company’s overall goals.
• Leverage technological advancements, such as video conferencing, online group platforms, and social media.
• Engage employees in both in-person and virtual meetings.
• Develop a multichannel approach for communicating with your employees.

Do: Collaborate with Internal Leaders

HR may develop the policies, tools, and practices necessary to engage employees and maintain high productivity. However, it is up to the department managers and supervisors to put those policies, tools, and practices into action.

When it comes to addressing employees’ needs and concerns, it is critical for HR and hiring managers to collaborate. Taking steps to mitigate burnout in the workplace requires cooperation between HR and internal leaders.

Here are a few ideas on how you can improve your collaboration with department heads:

• Collaborate with each department head to learn about their specific needs and expectations from HR.
• Remind workers of departmental and organisational goals—and how they all fit together.
• Set up an effective leave management process that helps team managers run their operations smoothly while increasing employee productivity and satisfaction.

Do: Offer Mentoring Programs

HR specialists are in a unique position to evaluate employees' skills and requirements to design a successful mentoring program.

By creating a mentoring program for new hires, you can attract top talent and help your company stand out from the competition. Not only is the program a benefit in itself, but it also demonstrates how much you value your people and how committed you are to helping them grow in their careers.

Additionally, mentoring your current employees is not only a cost-effective way to develop your workforce’s knowledge and skills, but it also helps increase employee satisfaction and retention.

Do: Be Flexible

Keep an open mind and a willingness to explore what you don't know. Examine the newest trends emerging from developments in the HR industry. Make time for networking to learn about these latest trends and how other HR leaders are tackling them.

Human resources management is evolving, and rigid policies are becoming obsolete. Embrace progress, try new things, and establish methods to revamp your company policies to match modern HR practices.

Moreover, your HR role provides the ideal platform for researching and leading discussions about change. Be a competent change master and persuade employees to embrace change.

Don’t: Discriminate and Discourage Diversity


Employers are frequently sued for discrimination or harassment in the following areas: hiring, promotion, disciplinary action, and termination. Inappropriate job interview questions, perceived bias, or job termination can result in discrimination claims. As HR, you may avoid these sorts of claims by implementing consistent policies and training management.

When prejudice, racism, discrimination, and a lack of respect spread in a workplace, conflict amongst employees becomes a certain conclusion. If left unchecked, workplace hostility can escalate into explosive or even violent behaviours.

Expanding the talent pool can help combat diversity issues at work. HR should focus on recruitment, training, and employee development when building a truly diverse and inclusive work environment.

Don’t: Forget Your Employees are Human

HR professionals are far from alone in their growing reliance on technology and data to perform their tasks. However, someone is yet to discover a way to automate empathy and critical thinking—two of the most crucial characteristics of a successful HR leader. Therefore, while mastering new tools is important, HR practitioners should never lose sight of the "H" in human resources.

The greatest mistake is failing to delve deeper and understand the employees you serve, and treating them as if they were merely figures on a spreadsheet. To prevent losing sight of the human component of your work, get up, connect with your employees, and listen to what they are truly saying.

Don’t: Neglect Onboarding and Training

Many HR professionals overlook their responsibilities in onboarding and training new employees—and employee engagement, productivity, and retention suffer as a result. It is vital to develop a strong, long-term relationship with employees through a carefully planned onboarding and training process.

Your employees are the lifeblood of your business, no matter what sector you're in or how big your company is. By providing an effective onboarding and training program, you’re setting the employee—and the rest of the organisation—up for long-term success.

Enhance the onboarding experience for new hires by helping them build connections. Giving employees access to a mentoring platform such as PushFar can have a positive impact on both productivity and retention. Encourage managers to engage with new hires, and always ask for feedback to measure the success of your onboarding program.

As an HR professional, you can make a huge difference in people’s lives. From hiring the right employees to training them with transferable skills they can use no matter where they work, you have the professional responsibility to help build a more engaged and empowered workforce.

Author Bio


This article was guest written by Regi Publico. Regi Publico is a full-time writer based in Manila who is also an artist for fun. She takes pride in her towering collection of books and loves reading about anything under the sun. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge through every article that she writes.

Welcome to PushFar, the world's largest mentoring platform. Whether you're looking to find a mentor or launch your own mentoring programs and schemes, we can help.
Looking for a mentor or to become a mentor?
Join Now Free Running your own mentoring programs?
Request a Demo

Explore more articles...

Similar mentoring, career progression and learning articles and resources by PushFar, you might like to read.

Go Further, with PushFar.

What are you looking for in your mentoring journey?
Individual Mentoring - Join Free
Organisation Solutions - Request a Demo