The world of HR has changed drastically in the last few years. With technology and social media getting increasingly more popular, it’s no surprise that HR managers need to keep up with these trends.

Human resource management itself is a very demanding and complicated process and as an HR manager, you are not supposed to make any mistakes as they can make or break the organization.

This blog will cover the common mistakes that every HR manager should avoid.

False commitment (While recruiting)

It is often observed that HR managers make a false commitment while recruiting candidates and when the commitment is not fulfilled the whole effort of onboarding candidate goes in vain and does not help the organization in the long run.

It is important, to be honest, and transparent with candidates. The best way to do this is by asking them for more information about the position so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not you want them on board.

As an HR Manager, you should ensure that you document everything that is discussed during the interview process to avoid any communication gap in future.

Not documenting communication

HR is busy managing multiple responsibilities like recruitment, payroll, Employee grievances and other admin activities in a small organization and most of the time they do not document most of the communication that they do with their employees.

Most times process is not set for maintaining communication and it leads to delays in service and employee dissatisfaction in long run.

One of the most important aspects of HR Manager’s responsibility is documentation and they should ensure they document all the communication that they have with employees to avoid any communication gaps.

Socialising too much with employees

Socialising with employees can have a negative impact on your work environment. If you socialise too much with your team, there’s a good chance that some individuals will be favoured over others.

This can lead to favouritism and unfairness in the workplace, which can cause resentment among other staff members.

It also makes it difficult for managers to properly manage their teams because they don’t know who they can trust or rely on when decisions need to be made quickly (such as in an emergency).

Not conducting regular Internal HR Audits

Internal HR Audits are important to the HR department because they help in identifying the gaps and deficiencies in the company.

They also help in identifying problems and addressing them, as well as identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your business.

Most HR do not set up a process of internal Audit as most times they have so much on their plate to do.

Internal HR Audits should be conducted at regular intervals along with management reviews, to ensure that all HR practices are being followed on the ground and we are ensuring that the organization is compliant with all the required labour and statutory requirements.

Incomplete & missing employee records

In most cases employee records and the required data in the employee file are missing, the reason is at the time of joining if HR does not ensure to collect of all the required data from employees they miss out on completing the employee records and since they do not conduct internal audit most time those documents are never collected.

In 80% of cases when an external audit happens, employee records are mostly incomplete and missing.

Employee records are mandatory to maintain and a compliance requirement and organizations would face non-compliance issues if these documents are missing.

Many times in case of employee fraud, breach of contract or trust you must have all the required information (Signed appointment letters, NDA Signed copy, KYC, Permanent and current address details) of the employee to take action against them.

Compliances lapses

Compliances lapses are a common mistake for HR managers. These are issues that arise when an employee does not follow policies or procedures and the company is not aware of them until later.

If you find out about this in 2023, it will be too late to fix it; by then, your brand reputation has been damaged and customers may lose trust in your organization’s ability to handle their data securely.

One example of a compliance lapse involves a problem with background checks on employees who have access to sensitive information such as banking records or medical records.

Another example is not following the applicable labour compliances and maintaining the records and which puts the organization at a very high non-compliance risk and penalties are very high for an organization to bare.

Have one size-fit solution approach

HR is generally supposed to ensure the standardisation of processes and systems laid down in the organization.

Now businesses have gone global and there is a need for change in the approach there cannot be one size fit solution approach for every problem.

Also, you have a workforce which comes from various age groups and various backgrounds and they need to manage differently hence the approach should be hybrid than creating a size-fit solution.

The best way for HR managers to communicate with their employees is by using an approach called “hybrid” which means combining traditional approaches with newer ones like social media or mobile technology depending on each situation.

This will allow them better access to what’s going on within your organization without being too controlling or authoritative like some CEOs might want them (or themselves)

Work more transactional

In a small organization, HR is very transactional as they have limited HR experience to manage the function and HR is a vast department to manage.

This means that you spend more time on organizational operations and less time on business value creation.

HR is no longer just about managing recruitment and payroll but it should also play a bigger role in talent management and strategic business partner for your organization.

Not maintaining the confidentiality of information

In the age of big data, maintaining confidentiality is more important than ever. If confidentiality is not maintained, it works against the organization.

This can happen because of various reasons such as:

• HR has all the sensitive information about employees and the organization; if they do not maintain confidentiality, it can go against the organization’s growth.
• The employee’s performance could be affected by knowing about him/her which may lead to his/her dismissal or being fired from one place to another place
• The internal affairs department may use this information against you if they want to take revenge on someone who has done something wrong within your organization

Do not think beyond HR

Do not think beyond hiring and training. HR is not just about recruitment and training. It’s a strategic partner of the organisation, involved in business strategy, change management, talent management etc.

HR who understand the business can contribute much higher to the organization and create more value for the organization.

HR should be able to forecast future issues depending upon the business growth and vision and should be able to plan so the growth is constant and it is less painful.

Whilst HR can help organisations with these processes it should also be aware that they are only one part of an overall strategy for growth or renewal that requires collaboration across different departments including Finance, Operations, Marketing & Sales etc.

Conclusion

HR is an integral part of any business. It is very important that you take care of your employees and provide them with the best possible working environment.

This can only be achieved by hiring qualified people with industry-relevant experience and knowledge.

If you are facing these challenges and looking for help, you can set up a free consultation call with our team of HR experts.