Top Ten Reasons to be Thankful for HR

By Stephanie Hammerwold

Here in the U.S., it’s the time of year where we gather for a large meal and to give thanks for our friends and family. It has been a couple years since I left the HR trenches to venture into consulting, and I want to take a moment to sing the praises of my colleagues who toil away on the frontlines of HR, working hard to create better workplaces. Here (in no particular order) are the top ten reasons we should all be thankful for the HR superheroes in our workplaces:

1. Many HR people fight hard behind the scenes to advocate for what is in the best interest of employees even when upper management argues against workplace improvements.
2. Do you work at a company with good benefits? Thank your HR team. They are usually the ones shopping around for the best insurance options and putting other benefit programs in place.
3. HR sets up paid time off programs. Next time you are sitting on a beach and sipping a cocktail and being paid for your time, thank your HR team for paid vacation.
4. HR oversees compensation, and they are the ones who go to upper management to make a case for better pay.
5. Who do you run to when trouble is brewing with a coworker? HR people are often a fair and patient resource for sorting out workplace squabbles, and their goal is get issues resolved so that everyone involved can be happy and get back to work.
6. Along those lines, HR people are the ones who handle serious issues, such as harassment or discrimination. They tirelessly investigate to ensure problems are resolved quickly, and this may involve making difficult decisions and getting in the middle of serious situations.
7. HR people are a shoulder to cry on. They are the place employees go when they need a leave due to a major life event such as surgery or a seriously ill loved one. They also help connect employees with resources to help them through difficult times. Helping employees in that way is rewarding, but it can also be incredibly emotional.
8. Do you like the people you work with? When HR hires new employees, they try to find people that not only have the skills for the job but are also a good fit in the department and company culture.
9.  When you are getting bored in your job and looking to make a change, HR people are excellent career coaches. They can help you find other areas of the company that may be a good way to move up and can point you toward training programs and education benefits to help you get there.
10. If you get to know your HR team, you will probably find that most of them are pretty friendly people. The job is not just about enforcing policy, and most of us who work in HR do so because we really do have a commitment to improving workplaces.

So, before you settle into your Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, take a moment to thank your HR team for all they do.

Photo by Tim Pershing

Ten Signs It's Time To Hire An HR Person

By Stephanie Hammerwold

Small businesses do not often have a dedicated HR person. Usually HR responsibilities are covered by an office manager, the business owner or someone else with an endless to-do list. While this approach can work when employee numbers remain low, there comes a point when a growing business should consider a full-time HR professional on staff. Here are the top ten signs you need to hire an HR person:

1. You can’t find the time to adequately manage leaves of absence in accordance with state and federal law.
2. You have 50 or more employees. There are extra laws that apply when you reach this size, which can be a challenge when you are not an HR professional.
3. Your most recent employee handbook is so old that it was typed on a typewriter.
4. Your employee files are unorganized stacks of paper in a drawer.
5. You believe HR is only about paperwork because that’s the only part of HR you have time for.
6. Your new employee orientation and training consists of throwing an employee into the job and hoping they figure it out on their own.
7. Hiring becomes a challenge.
8. You find yourself googling labor laws on a daily basis.
9. Managing the people part of your business is all you do, and things like accounts payable/receivable, office supply ordering and such never seem to get done.
10. You desperately dream of the day you can hand off harassment complaints to someone who has experience investigating such things.

For more information on knowing when it’s time to hire an HR person, see my post over at Blogging4Jobs.