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Make the Most of Your HR Month! |
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Part 2: Get in Touch With Your Customer!
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Join
the Discussion |
"let us know, in the forum, what you plan for your HR
celebration this month...”
Plans for HR Month?
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Susan M.
Heathfield
- Organize periodic customer focus groups to hear and
determine customer needs. As an example, invite a cross-section of front line
supervisors to develop a prioritized list of training and development needs.
These groups are more effective when focused on a narrow topic rather than a
generic, far-ranging, “how can HR improve” discussion.
- Create a “suggestion box” to collect ideas for
improvement. Include the name of each individual who contributed a suggestion
in a monthly drawing for a gift certificate to a restaurant or department
store.
- Make certain you know about meetings and committees
that will benefit from HR input. Have staff members serve on the committees or
find other ways to provide relevant HR input.
- Sponsor a monthly or quarterly employee recognition and
thank you event or contest. Develop a cross-functional group of people to
design these opportunities. These can offer community-building in low cost
ways, if your budget is limited.
My clients have creatively developed such
opportunities as a pumpkin give-away in October and a hamburger picnic, with
managers doing the honors at the grills, in July. One company, with windows into the manufacturing
areas, held a window decorating contest in which teams of people competed for
the “best” holiday window vote. Another company held a lunchtime silent auction
and donated the proceeds to charity. Potluck lunches, with the organization
providing the main course, are another popular way to build community within a
department, unit, or smaller organization.
Or, you can spend money on an annual organization
event. One organization sponsors an annual family picnic at a theme park or
other destination. Another holds an annual company founding anniversary party
at a fine restaurant. Another holds an annual award celebration at a local
hotel banquet room.
Opportunities to reward, recognize, celebrate, and
thank, are limited only by your imagination!
Lay the Foundation for a
Great Human Resources Month Celebration Each Year
- Make this the year you establish your HR Mission,
Vision, Values, and Purpose. Done effectively, with all HR staff and customer
representatives providing input, this process can take a year to complete.
- Organize an HR planning group to recommend and
implement improvements based on all the information you received during your
newly improved organization outreach efforts listed above. Communicate
decisions and progress to all organization staff. You want people to know their
ideas and time invested created real change.
- Develop an HR goal setting and prioritizing process.
You cannot do it all and recognizing and identifying the priorities is crucial
for your success. Share these priorities with your entire organization so
people have an idea when processes important to them will come on board.
- Link the overall HR goals to both the total company
goals and to the performance development process for your internal HR staff.
Make the accomplishment of priority goals key for reward and recognition
throughout the year. Focus internal development efforts on achieving
priorities. As an example, if a new HRIS system is in your future, develop key
staff members now.
You’ve got the talent, the desire, and the ideas. Now zero
in on those most likely to make your new year most successful. Celebrate Human
Resources month in style! Then take the energy and good will generated to set
the tone for your whole new year.
Comments Welcome
What do you think? I’d love to hear what you plan for Human Resources month. Talk to the HR community in the HR Community Connection Forum.
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