To help! I am in charge of human resources, what will I do now?

Out of nowhere, in addition to his other responsibilities, he has been put in charge of Human Resources. This happens in many small businesses as they start to grow. Someone is given a title, perhaps with a comment: “I know you will do well.” Do not panic. You are not alone. And luckily there are resources available to you. . . and you will probably be fine.

You should take HR seriously, but not to the point of immobilizing you like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. As you regain your wits and start making plans, there are two main areas to keep in mind: legal issues and improving your workforce. In fact, consider the two main areas plus the budget. The longer you are involved with HR, the more you will know, and since there are roughly four dozen HR categories to train in, you should realize that there are many things to learn, but as a beginner, there are only a few. basics you should cover. .

Legal matters:

Improving your workforce:

Learning more about legal issues will protect you and your organization. This is the best place to start. When hiring and firing, there are some things you can do and some things you can’t. There are training videos that will take you step by step through the hiring interview process to hire a person who meets your qualifications. One of the best training videos for this is a product called More Than a Gut Feeling. This program has been around for years and has been repeatedly updated. The video includes a training guide and the book More Than a Gut Feeling.

Training points in the package include:

As you can see, the pack gives you a good base of information to help you select the best candidate and also gives you information on the kinds of questions you shouldn’t ask. Before you start firing someone, you should also look at the legal issues related to firing, but hiring will likely be your first need.

Every worker has the right to expect to work in a safe and respectful workplace. That is why every organization has an obligation to be aware of the issues of harassment (harassment, sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace), the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and acceptance of diversity. A policy that encompasses the prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace along with respectful treatment is essential. There are many products that will help you develop your own policy manual, and many even come with a blank form for you to fill out.

Once the legal aspects of the job have been addressed, you can move on to training. There are special assessments you can purchase to address your overall training needs, as well as the needs of the people within the organization, but as a novice Director of Human Resources, I would recommend that you simply meet up with your co-workers and have a shower. of ideas on training and education. needs. The more you communicate with your employees, the greater the understanding you will develop with them about your skills.

Possibly the best place to start in training is in the areas of team building and communications. If your organization is not working as a team, it makes administration more difficult, and if communications are not working, it makes most aspects of working together almost impossible.

Training videos can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars or more. Many of John Cleese’s business training tapes cost around $ 870, while the new Jamie Oliver tapes (from the Food Channel) cost a little over a thousand dollars to buy. Renting is an option, but I follow the philosophy of “it is better to have the cow”. John Cleese’s videos use a lot of humor to illustrate his points and Jamie Oliver is very popular, which is why both factors make these training videos worthwhile.

However, there are more inexpensive tools available. There are prepackaged workshops for standard training containing scripts, handouts, and transparencies (all in playable .pdf files) AND an illustrative video accompanies the presentation all for under $ 400. You can adapt the script to present a half-day workshop or up to a two-day workshop. You can instantly put the workshop on your schedule and then bring it back for your review (and new hires) a year or two later. And of course, the second time you use the package, there is no additional charge.

You can also buy three-ring binders that contain simple activities, which can be used over and over again. Activity collections are available for many HR training categories and cost around $ 140.

I recommend that you plan a budget that allows you to start stocking a library of products. You can add them and share them with coworkers and managers. As you share programs and your desire to improve your organization, you should be able to find co-workers to help and assist you.

You can start your career in Human Resources by starting your own training programs, hiring human resource trainers to consult with you and possibly run programs you can run next time, or hiring professionals at each level of training. Employee needs and your budget should be your guide.

Human resources should be fun and challenging. Enjoy.