HR decisions take a lot of things into consideration, including customer demands and what is best for business growth. Attending to employee needs is also essential, so a balanced approach must occur, making seemingly obvious choices more difficult.
Leaders may find it challenging to meet both business and employee needs when making decisions. There are times when those needs can conflict.
For example, HR data may reveal that certain employees are better suited for higher-up positions, which would improve organizational productivity. But doing so may invoke feelings of favoritism among staff.
However, with careful thought and planning, HR professionals can help executives make decisions that benefit both organizational and employee needs. They do not have to be mutually exclusive terms.
Rather than seeing meeting employee needs and company demands as conflicting objectives, they can instead occur together and are likely connected. When formulating a business plan, try to consider both responsibilities.
When mapping a plan out to overcome a company obstacle or another reason, it is integral to think about how best to communicate it to employees. HR leaders, for example, must be sensitive to the fact that carrying out the new business plan will add to employees’ workloads and, therefore, impact their work experience.
In other words, HR executives bear the challenge of maintaining employee satisfaction while also carrying out company decisions. Thus, they must maintain a balance between caring for workers’ well-being and carrying out decisions that benefit the business.
If employee happiness is not a consideration in the decision-making process, the organization risks team members disengaging. That may lead to poor customer experiences.
There are several ways to balance business demands with workers’ needs. It begins with clearly communicating new policies to staff and explaining relevant policies that already exist. For instance, a new company policy may allow for remote work a certain number of days a week.
Managers must also be honest in all interactions with staff. Only then can employees trust the company, which leads to stronger relationships.
When making an announcement of the change, HR must also show compassion. Doing so can help employees feel more secure in the new direction the company is taking now.
A caring approach may also improve the business’ reputation. For instance, those employees may tell others how they are well treated (or the opposite).
If the company is unsure what exactly the workers’ needs are, asking them what they value is a great way to find out. The approach could be through one-on-one conversations between HR and workers or perhaps through employee surveys. The objective here is to find ways to satisfy employees while also meeting the company’s needs.
The HR team exists to help achieve organizational success. To meet this goal involves an in-depth understanding of company culture and values, as well as the priorities of employees. When decisions align business and worker needs, it has the most opportunity for success.
