Why Every HR Leader Needs A Coach
The Human Resource (HR) Department is the heart of every company. They are the ones responsible for all of the backroom activities that make the front of the house function the way it should. Everything from evaluating metrics to communicating with the upper management the company’s ability to acquire and retain staff.
Consequently, it is imperative this department also receives necessary coaching for HR professionals. The heart of the company needs to understand how to keep the pulse going because if not the company will suffer. A good coach will help them implement strategies that improve the health of the company.
As a new hire, I had the misfortune of being told that my position (receptionist at a tax office)did not bring value to the company. She attempted to clean up the statement by saying that the tax preparers brought in the money. It sounded like she was telling me that “they” were worth the paycheck, while I was bleeding the company of money.
Needless to say, our working relationship was broken until I spoke up regarding the issue.
HR professionals who have been properly trained and coached themselves will know and understand the following basic metric points:
- employee value
- productive communication
- recruitment and retention
The list above may be short, however, expands to include several other important skills that an HR professional should be able to use effectively.
Effective Hiring Strategies
While effective hiring sounds like recruitment, this is not the military. They take practically everyone and engage in the weeding out process. A good human resource professional understands what it costs to actually hire a person. The people perusing the candidates have to be paid, then the people who do the interview and so on. Moreover, that does not include the cost of training the new hire and various payroll expenses.
A business cannot afford to hire 20 people only to keep two or three of them.
Workplace Values
It is easy for the hiring manager to imply that the company values teamwork and communication. However, when the manager consistently sneaks out on projects; leaving the staff to complete the work, the real message becomes clear. Staff members understand that there is no value placed on them as people, but only as a drone to do all the legwork. This undermines their sense of value, resulting in diminishing company morale. The end result is higher turnover.
Communicating and Cultural Differences
These two skills require great interpersonal fitness. It also means having the ability to use eyes and ears in communication rather than a voice. Using visual cues will help with understanding the direction a conversation is going. A person standing with their arms crossed and a piercing gaze is indicative of someone who is currently receptive to whatever the message happens to be. Tabling the talk for another time is probably a good option.
Not to mention being culturally sensitive can go a long way when discussing company functions during times that staff may be observing religious events. One example is those that fast for a variety of reasons. While that person may not attend (or prolong their stay) at the company barbecue, it does not mean exclude them from the invitation list.
Good, shoulder-to-shoulder coaching helps the human resource team understand how to recruit and retain staff that exceeds company goals. Human resource professionals need as much coaching as any other team member, more so in most cases. Knowing the core competencies is one thing, being able to execute them is another.
