Employment is an essential component of a person’s identity, self-worth, and emotional well-being.
This concept is the cornerstone of what we do and it’s something that I have urged HR professionals and managers to keep posted in their office and front of mind as it is a critical component in everything that we do.
One of the first questions we are asked by strangers when we meet them is what do you do? Our answer tends to be the first indicator of how we define ourselves as individuals: Who are we? What role defines us? How do we spend 70% of our time? What are we worth?
It’s not just a job. What we do is a critical part of our emotional and physical wellbeing.
How does this relate to human resource practises and set up? It should start with your employment strategy and go through the entire timeline of an employees timeline:
- Is your organisational development plan aligned with the company’s business plan and set up in a strategic way? Lack of true strategic planning and alignment leads to a lack of resources , bad hiring practises and a high turnover of staff.
- Are your hiring practises set up to be fair and equal? Does your recruitment strategy and execution take into consideration this key message and are you treating your candidates with the respect and consideration they deserve?
- Are your onboarding and training practises set up to ensure that the successful candidate is set up for success in their role?
- Are your compensation rates reflective of the role?
- Do you have a progressive career plan in place where people can grow and develop?
- Are your employment contracts set up to be fair and protect both employee and employer?
- Do you have an active culture plan?
- How do you support accommodations?
- How do you support and ensure workplace safety adherence?
- What is your workplace investigation strategy, how is it implemented and critically – how is it communicated?
- What progressive discipline plans are in place for employees who need support?
- What is your termination strategy and again critically – how is this communicated?
- What lessons do you learn during offboarding and how do you use each employees feedback to try and make the organisation a better place for people to work in?
As we move into a new era in Canada in 2024 with a quite rapidly changing employment landscape, I’d like to encourage tor remember the very human aspect of employment. Why is this person reacting in this way (insert positive or negative scenario here).
The answer is because it’s not just a job and they are not just reacting to the scenario, they are protecting their identity, their self worth and their emotional well being so what can we do to support that?
Sarah Seale is an award winning organisational business strategist with over 15 years experience on the international market and 8 years serving the Canadian market. She holds an MBA and is at the final stage of the CHRL/CHRE designation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahseale/
By Sarah Seale, CEO of Sarah Seale Inc
