While you may enjoy acting like a T. Rex, you are being short-sighted when, as an owner or manager of a business, you do not recognize that your obsolete human resource policies are as outdated as that dinosaur and are actually doing more harm than good. The simple fact is that outdated, inconsistent HR policies are one of the main gripes that employees have with a company – and, more importantly, ones where they have the most likely grounds for taking legal action.
A New Paradigm
The best HR policies and procedures come from a continual re-evaluation of what is and isn’t working in a particular company. In fact, this ongoing process is the only way to keep your policies up-to-date and in compliance with the latest in government regulations.
Key to the process is listening to your employees and treating their input with the same respect accorded to traditional customers. Some prime considerations during these discussions should be whether a policy advances company initiatives, is merely a convenience for the HR department or is it merely a remnant of some old policy that was never properly discarded or emended.
The Proper Mindset
To put it as succinctly as possible, HR departments are not infallible – that is, the employees often have a legitimate point when it comes to outdated policies. For example, a dress code fashioned in an earlier time or under different business circumstance is not always appropriate for the current business climate. In particular, it is a simple fact of life that many “online” companies can do without a dress code, although many traditionalists feel it necessary in a corporate environment.
The Bottom Line
You must be ready to turn an objective eye on your HR policies and procedures. Once you have identified the standards by which your HR department will operate, use an HRIS to monitor its implementation and its ongoing success. Then, you will have truly moved out of the “prehistoric” age of mere human resource administration and joined the ranks of companies that employ human capital management.
