10 Signs You Need Solid HR Help!

10 Signs You Need Solid HR Help!

Is your workplace in a constant state of barely manageable chaos? Maybe...? A looming trainwreck? Let's get you the assistance you need to improve people operations! Exceptional HR is not a luxury; however, it is a necessity for your business to grow and thrive. Don't let sub-par, archaic, non-existent, or stagnating HR practices continue.  If favortism, indecisivness, toxicity, bad practice, and incompetent management is holding your business back, then it's time for a change. Let's get you some fresh air and transform your people and your workplace! 

Here's the score card. How does your company fare?  

1.  High Employee Turnover 

If your company is a revolving door of onboarding and terminations, let's look at some of the possible underlying issues. It’s time for an intervention! An HR professional can help identify the root causes of turnover and job dissatisfaction, implement retention strategies, and create a stable work environment for you. Let's address this revolving door:

Market Research & Fair Compensation Practices: Conducting market research to ensure competitive compensation and benefits are being offered.

Introduce Exit Interviews & Surveys: use this information to understand why employees are leaving, and address the root causes. Where is support needed most? 

Career Development Programs: establish advancement opportunities so your people do not feel stuck in their roles and completely disengage. 

Lack of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: do you have effective programs in place to encourage diversity and belonging. No? Well, now is the time! 

Toxic, Incompetent Managers/Leadership: observe, train, expect accountability, and consider leadership changes to address incompetent management effectively.

Poor Work-Life Balance: excessive workloads, inflexible work schedules, and lack of support for personal time and responsibilities. There are solutions available!

Benefit Enhancements: improve benefit packages to include desirable perks employees want.

Recognition Programs: Reward and retain your talent = you get what you reward!

2.  Non-compliance Penalties

Are you struggling to keep up with labour laws and regulations? This can be a daunting labyrinth! If you're unsure about your company's compliance with labour laws, pay, job equity, workplace safety regulations, human rights, or collective agreements, it's time to seek HR help. Non-compliance can be costly!

Regular Compliance Audits: perform regular audits to ensure adherence to labour laws and regulations.

Employee Training: Conduct training sessions on compliance for managers and employees.

Policy Updates: keep HR policies and procedures relevant, easy to locate, and review them annually. Operating without clear, documented policies and procedures can lead to confusion, inconsistency, and legal issues.

3.  Inefficient Recruitment Process

Struggling to attract and hire the right talent? Ineffective and poorly managed recruitment processes can lead to poor hires, wasted administrative time, and money. A solid HR professional can streamline your hiring procedures, develop targeted job postings, and implement effective screening and interview methods, ensuring qualified candidates that align with your company's goals and culture.

4.  Low Employee Morale and Engagement 

Is morale and engagement low? Was that a mental ‘YES’...? I'm sure for many of you, it was.  Sounds like it's time to create some initiatives that can boost morale and foster a sense of belonging and real job satisfaction!

Trust, Respect, Inclusion, and Empowerment: those who know, know what I mean!

Engagement Surveys: conduct regular employee engagement surveys to gather feedback, and DO something with the feedback! Action brings change! 

Team-Building Activities: organize, organize, organize fun events! Put it in the budget. It's important...

Open Communications: everyone talks about it, but it's time to act on it—without the fear of negative recourse, reprisals ... or worse!

Enhance Work-Life Balance: provide flexible work schedules, remote work options, wellness support, and sufficient paid time-off to combat burnout.

5.  Declining Employee Performance 

Are you noticing a drop in employee productivity and performance? Do you have an effective performance management system in place? If your answer is a resounding ‘No,’ and your performance review process resembles the Wild West or simply a black void, then you're missing out!

Get your business onboard with regular and continuous performance reviews, so you can share clear objectives and goals, provide routine feedback, establish development plans, foster team growth, and get everyone moving in the right direction. A structured and continuous performance management system will set expectations, help people meet goals, and enable managers to evaluate their teams and ensure equitable and fair distribution of rewards.

6.  Frequent Workplace Conflicts

Is your workplace experiencing conflicts, disfunction, tension, toxicity? Unresolved tensions can poison a work environment and hinder productivity. If you're noticing an increase in workplace disputes or a tense atmosphere, it's time for solid HR intervention. A HR professional can mediate conflicts, implement resolution strategies, provide external support avenues, and help you create policies that promote a harmonious and functional work environment. 

Conflict Resolution Training: train your people in conflict resolution techniques.

Mediation Services: provide mediation services to resolve conflicts amicably and confidentially.

Clear Policies: establish clear policies on workplace behavior and conflict resolution.

Observe Your Managers: do you have competent management in place? Are teams thriving, suffocating, productive, or completely disengaged?  

Exit Survey Data: include questionnaires on interactivity, working-relationships, enablement, conflict, recognition, support, the social environment, and teamwork. Survey everyone, not just the ones who are going to throw rose petals!

7.  Overwhelming & Lengthy Workflows

Are you drowning in HR-related "paperwork," emails, and forms? Are you duplicating work and drowning in lengthy and frustrating administrative tasks? Are your employees equally frustrated jumping through hoops and mind-bendingly bad processes? Sound familiar?

If your answer is a resounding ‘YES’ then it’s a clear sign you need to review your processes and implement more efficient systems.  Having optimized HR technologies and support processes can streamline and automate your workflows. Let's improve the employee experience and lower your HR costs.

8.  Overworked and Burnt-Out Employees 

Is your staff consistently overworked and exhausted? Is overtime off the charts? This can lead to burnout, health issues, medical leave, and turnover. You need to balance workloads, maintain sufficient staffing levels, and improve mental well-being.

Workload Assessments: regularly assessing and adjusting workloads and distribution to prevent burnout.

Automate and Streamline Processes: question: will technologies and refined processes help lessen the manual burden, exhausted time, and save cost? YES! When done right and implemented correctly! We can help you reduce the friction!

Flexible Work Arrangements: offer flexible schedules and remote work options. Ask your employees what they want, and balance that with what works for your business.

Wellness Programs: introduce wellness programs to support employee health and well-being.

Regular Check-ins: talk to your teams; engage with them; find out what’s going on and how they are doing. What support do they need? Give and you will get back.

9.  Untrained Staff...?

Are your employees lacking necessary skills needed to do their jobs? YES? Then, it’s time to develop effective training programs that will enhance their skills, productivity, and knowledge.

Needs Analysis: analyze the organization, tasks, and people. Target!

Skill Assessments: conduct assessments to identify skill gaps.

Training Program Design, Delivery & Evaluation: offer the training and professional development opportunities your employees need and want.

Cross-training Initiatives & Job-swapping: tie these to career paths and personal development. Let 'em learn and grow!

Mentorship Programs: Pairing less experienced employees with seasoned mentors for guidance. Great for succession planning and not just at the 'senior' leadership level!

10.  Rapid Business Growth

Business growth is certainly a welcome and exciting time, but it can also bring HR challenges. If your company is expanding quickly and your HR functions are not scaling accordingly, problems will result! Solid HR support can help manage the complexities of rapid growth, including hiring at scale, developing new organizational structures, adapting systems, processes, policies, and maintaining company culture during expansion. 

Final thoughts ...

Addressing these warning signs will bring new business life and insights. With solid professional HR consulting assistance, you can create an efficient, compliant, and employee-friendly workplace to improve your operations and set a solid foundation for growth and success.
Is this not what you want for your incredible business? Let's chat!