In many ways, your HR department is the backbone of your company. They handle hiring practices, employee relations, training, and a host of other essential functions. When HR is doing a good job, the company thrives. But if they falter, the entire company suffers. So what do the best HR departments do to keep things running smoothly that the others don’t? Here are five differences.

1. A Complete Onboarding Process. What’s your company’s method of integrating new employees into the fold? Now, when was the last time you updated those methods? A lot of companies simply give their new hires an (often outdated) employee handbook and then leave them to their own devices. But the best HR departments make a concerted effort to help them acclimate to the company culture. They’ll match them up with a mentor who can show them the ropes, make sure that management is easily accessible for questions and performance review, and more. A better onboarding process makes for better, more productive employees.

2. Comprehensive HCM Software. It’s the job of Human Resources to keep a host of data on all employees. This includes payroll info and benefits, hours worked, productivity, attendance, etc. However, keeping track of all of this data and being able to access it when it’s needed can be a difficult prospect. In order to stay on the ball with each employee’s files, leading HR departments employ Human Capital Management software. This type of platform is designed to keep all of that data in one place and make it easily accessible, not only to the HR department, but also to the employees themselves, who can look up their own data easily, instead of constantly asking HR for it—thereby saving time and increasing productivity.

3. Expanded Recruitment Methods. When you have an open position at your company, how do you go about filling it? Do you talk to a recruiter? Post listings on top job sites? These are important methods, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to amassing a hiring pool. Top HR departments have a variety of recruitment methods to increase the influx of potential candidates. They post job listings on their social media channels, so that people who are already interested in their company can see if they’d like to work there. They go to networking events, both in person and online, and make connections with top people in the field, who may be looking for a job now, or who may be looking for one down the line. Many don’t even wait until there’s a job opening, but post open-ended listings, in order to create a backlog of interested applicants, which they can just pull from when a position does open up.

4. Assessment and Analytics. Once HR has created a larger candidate pool, then it’s their job to go through each applicant, one by one, to determine whether or not they’d be a good fit for the company and eliminate those who are unqualified or otherwise problematic. This is time-consuming and tedious. That’s why good HR department use online assessment tools, to weed out candidates who don’t fit the criteria automatically. An assessment test measures an applicant’s aptitude in a variety of different areas, and an analytics program analyzes the results to see which ones have the necessary skills and qualifications, and which ones raise red flags. HR is left with a smaller but higher quality talent pool to choose from, allowing them to make a better decision in less time.

5. Diversity and Inclusiveness. It’s important to employ people of all different cultures and backgrounds in your company. Not only is it the fair and right thing to do, this kind of diversity can provide new perspectives and different outlooks to your company culture and lead to a more well-rounded organization. Leading HR departments know not only how to attract top diverse candidates to their company, but how to create an environment of inclusiveness that encourages them to stay.

You can learn a lot from the leading HR departments. Their policies are designed for the benefit of the entire company, from management to new hires, and everyone else. They streamline hiring processes, improve employee relations, and increase overall productivity, while improving the working environment for everyone. Which of these leading HR policies will you adopt in your own company?

Paypro’s WorkforceONE®  Human Resource module offers a comprehensive HR solution that’s amazingly easy to use. Your employees, managers, and Human Resource administrators will stay up to date and compliant. Contact us today to learn more, we are here to simplify your workforce.

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