It sometimes seems that the sheer volume of immediate and pressing details organizations must deal with everyday make it difficult to focus on the fundamentals of running a successful business. For HR professionals and senior management, getting back to HR basics can not only be the relief, but also the cure to this challenge. By taking a step back and re-addressing the fundamentals - such as employee morale and communication, workforce planning, effective information and processes, and the right technology - organizations can effectively manage the details before they even happen.<br />
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Employee Morale and Communication </strong><br />
Employees are an organization's greatest asset. Under current economic conditions, changes within an organization are unsettling if not completely disruptive. Corporate leaders have a responsibility to maintain, even improve, employee morale during times of uncertainty and change. Now, more than ever, employees need to understand what's happening and know how and where they fit in the organization. Honest, frequent communication can help hold the fear of change at bay. <br />
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Although there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for building employee morale and improving communication, a basic organizational chart can go a long way to understanding and strengthening the unique communication patterns within an organization. These days, the importance of maintaining an up-to-date organizational chart goes beyond the corporate management team. <br />
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By extending this information to program and project teams, what has previously been considered a simple picture of hierarchical structure can become a map of information flow. And sharing it with the employee base empowers the entire organization by communicating the basic "who reports to whom message and allowing employees to view a graphical depiction of departmental structures, open positions and more. Alone or alongside other information such as employee directories, project plans, program status and corporate updates, org charts can go a long way to helping organizations further increase awareness and create dialog.<br />
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Workforce Planning</strong><br />
Owners of professional sports team constantly assess what talent they have and what talent they need to take their team to the championships each year. While not all industries are as volatile as professional sports, the concept of ongoing talent assessment is simply workforce planning. <br />
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All organizations must ask themselves: "What is our "championship ? Is it a revenue goal? Market share? Whatever it is, every company must objectively evaluate its team and determine if it possesses the skills it needs to win that particular organizational championship. To do this, it is necessary to determine if the raw talent exists to develop into superstars or if it needs to be hired. This assessment is not a one-time event. Just like the pros, organizations must evaluate the team at every win and loss. Just as business changes, so does the need for specific skills and talents. <br />
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Workforce plans should be maintained in an easy-to-access environment such as a secure area of the corporate Intranet. Employee skills, training plans and knowledge-base information must be captured along with other critical employee information, as well as maintained and distributed to the management team at regularly intervals. This is an easy, collaborative way to ensure the organization is prepared for the future, both short and long term.<br />
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<strong>Effective Information and Processes </strong><br />
Accurate information is liberating. From simply-stated corporate goals to who reports to whom, information should be automatically updated on a regular basis. By providing accurate, timely information to every employee who needs it, organizations can reap the benefits of quick, informed decision making. This is a self-perpetuating concept. Employees that benefit from accurate information will, in turn, provide accurate and timely information to other members of their teams. Once set in motion, senior management teams can guide the process rather than feel they must control it.<br />
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Speaking of "process & it's a word that makes most employees nervous, namely because it subliminally denotes accountability. Instead, organizations can challenge themselves and their employees to look at how projects are completed and build in processes that expedite the completion of projects. In a word: workflow. The best thing a management team can do is work with its employees to accurately document workflow, building in the proper approval mechanisms. Once documented, teams can adapt this workflow to each project or program. With documented workflow, the entire organization knows how to get things done without feeling stifled or micromanaged. <br />
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<strong>The Right Technology</strong><br />
With the proper tools, it's possible to build and maintain just about anything. In the realm of today's business climate, the right tools may not always be the sexiest technology on the market, but they are usually the most practical applications of technology that further a team's ability to meet corporate goals. <br />
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For some organizations this could mean implementation of a comprehensive HRIS system, CRM software or automated organizational charting software; for others, enterprise-wide deployment of laptops, implementation of wireless networks, or deployment of hand-held devices that run enterprise-wide software applications. Each organization must find out what its employees think they need to get their job done, review workflow and then equip the company to be as efficient as possible. <br />
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<em>This informational data sheet has been developed by Irving, Texas-based Aquire, Inc., the leader in visual workforce management solutions. The original is available at <a href="http://www.aquire.com/press/datasheets/Back_to_Basics_Data_Sheet.pdf">http://www.aquire.com/press/datasheets/Back_to_Basics_Data_Sheet.pdf</a>. For more information on Aquire, visit <a href="http://www.aquire.com">www.aquire.com</a> or <a href="http://www.orgpublisher.com">www.orgpublisher.com</a>. <br />
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