Why is reactive behavior not good for HR?
Precedents tend to guide the work of HR professionals, with a similar past incident suggesting how to handle a current event. So, for instance, hiring begins only after a position is vacated, because of which it is possible a position stays vacant for some time. What could however be a better approach would be evidence-based decisions and predictions, the basis on which a hiring plan is put in place well before actual exits happen.
Should HR be proactive?
When talent management professionals in an HR team put proactive plans in place, they can save effort, money, and time for the organization. A proactive HR strategy negates the need for near-constant firefighting, and with less reactive behavior comes more productivity and lower stress.
Here is what a proactive HR approach should look at:
- Reset thinking: Creating a work environment that places a premium on acknowledging people and rewarding the value they add yields great results for change agents. This necessitates a top-to-bottom shift in mindsets in the direction of proactiveness, asking top leadership to take a new approach toward talent management programs. Given the dynamic nature of HR work, there is higher involvement in matters of the workforce, whose members are now key strategic partners in the success of the organization. It is important to reassess the value of the workforce accordingly.
- Reorient key plans: Talent management professionals must integrate diversity and inclusion into their plans to attain the goals of the organization. This could include new benefits such as paid healthcare or giving employees a true stake in the successes or failures of the organization. It is important to embrace change and adjust thinking and approaches accordingly whenever needed, with new policies and other initiatives to support employees. These could include flexible time off, parental leave, equity in organizational stakes, among others.
What are the gains from a proactive HR approach?
When HR professionals are proactive in their work, they give due consideration to all business aspects. They anticipate issues and create the right policies before the issues snowball into massive inconveniences affecting the entire organization. This makes for a better workplace with a higher likelihood of positive results. Engagement, incentivization, and positive reinforcement make HR a less punitive, more supportive workforce partner in organizational growth.
Here are the gains from proactive talent management programs:
- Save money: Vigilance comes from proactiveness. For instance, tracking HR analytics will immediately show if and when operations veer off course from planned goals, and accordingly remedial actions can be taken. An exited employee typically means a loss of 6-9 months of salary as well as at least a month to find a replacement. Aligning talent management goals with company goals ensures the availability of the requisite manpower and skills to attain those goals.
- Hire better: Given that hiring tends to happen only when a position falls vacant, other members often have to take on extra work if an employee leaves or moves elsewhere within the company. This disruption to workflows and consequent stress can be avoided by planning for turnover and predicting likely exits by looking through metrics such as absenteeism, engagement, and productivity. Such proactive approaches by talent management professionals also ensure a steady inflow of talent, by conducting rolling interviews, storing applications, and taking other measures. Skilled and qualified employees require less time to attain full productivity, another benefit.
Which proactive measures should be part of talent management?
The following steps are useful in instituting a proactive talent management approach:
- Listen intentionally: Finding the best-fit candidate becomes easier by listening to external and internal candidates and asking them the right questions. Employee opinions and feedback help to track corporate culture, morale, and strategy effectiveness, as do the perspectives of leaders and managers. This can close perception gaps and empower employees, encouraging them to stay with the company.
- Have conversations: Discuss the corporate mission and vision with the leadership team. Understand what needs to be done to attain desired goals, and where the company stands at the present point. The right talent strategies can help close such gaps.
- Develop employees: Institute proactive training programs, taking cues from conversations with leaders about necessary steps to attain goals. The right training can also foster innovative product and service offerings, a common goal. Employee inputs on such programs also help them to attain their career goals.
- Plan successions: Proactive HR helps to quickly fill vacant roles, especially critical for key contributors or leaders at the executive level. It is important to plan successions across all levels.
