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Organizational Alignment: The Importance of Building HR Infrastructure
| Guest post by: Donna Flagg |
Article Overview: Companies seem to inherently value the role, presence and necessity of infrastructure when it comes to their technology, financial and other operational systems. But human resources is a vital a system too, one that provides just as much support to a business as any other, if not more. Yet often times HR gets overlooked because it’s considered “soft” which usually translates into “less important.” Except, how can the very system upon which all others depend not be important?
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Organizational Alignment: The Importance of Building HR Infrastructure
Companies seem to inherently value the role, presence and necessity of infrastructure when it comes to their technology, financial and other operational systems. But human resources is a vital a system too, one that provides just as much support to a business as any other, if not more. Yet often times HR gets overlooked because it’s considered “soft” which usually translates into “less important.” Except, how can the very system upon which all others depend not be important?
The problem is that organizations tend not to think about “the people” as a system unto themselves. But they are. And in order to get them to perform as effectively and efficiently as possible, a structure needs to be built that supports and facilitates the flow of work while connecting employees to the overall system as a whole.
The place to start is with job descriptions that clearly define roles and responsibilities. This does not mean simply putting together a laundry list of tasks, for tasks alone lack context and do not make for a sufficient job description. This is where we see most businesses fall down.
So, in order to craft the best possible job descriptions, it’s important to first understand how each job fits into the larger organization and then figure out what results a particular job should produce for the business as well as what returns those results are expected to deliver. Once you’ve learned to think about work in terms of results, rather than tasks, you will start to see what measurable markers are associated with them. This way, you create the clarity necessary to give roles the appropriate meaning for employees and tie them directly to outcomes relevant to the business at the same time.
However, while it’s critical, it’s not enough to merely “quantify” jobs for employees because while defining results will help them understand “what” they need to do, it falls short on explaining “how.” A good job description therefore, will also be clear about what attitudes and behaviors are expected in the course of carrying out whatever expectations are set forth. Remember, the way your employees act is a reflection of your brand and company, which means that their reputations represent not only your internal culture, but also your company’s identity in the marketplace.
From there, in order to ensure that your efforts are not lost, you’ll need a proper performance evaluation system so that the right reinforcement tools are in place to either support or sanction the behaviors your company needs to be successful. The key is to make sure that you link your criteria for measurement directly to job requirements as they are outlined in the descriptions. This way you not only align your business initiatives with the actual work being done by your employees, but you evaluate past performance in a way that allows you to shape the future behaviors of your company.
And finally, the last piece in your HR infrastructure is compensation. It again, should be used as a viable and valuable opportunity to reinforce or “deinforce” behaviors that either help or harm your business. When job descriptions, performance evaluation and compensation are connected, you create an HR system that is straightforward, objective and unbiased because employee performance is defined, evaluated and rewarded in a fair, consistent and strategic way.
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About the Author: Donna Flagg RSS for Donna's articles - Visit Donna's website Donna Flagg spent over 15 years in business before founding The Krysalis Group, a consulting firm specializing in management, marketing, training and sales and their respective relationships to business results. Her management career began in sales at CHANEL, and before branching out on her own, she spearheaded a new training function within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. After earning a BA from Rutgers University and gaining experience on the front lines of Corporate America, Donna went on to attend New York University's Graduate School of Education where she obtained a master's degree in Organizational Development and Human Resource Management, and a post graduate degree in Business Education. She has also been a speaker at City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University through Stern Business School and Delta Pi Epsilon, a national honorary professional graduate society in business education and training. In addition, she speaks at various conferences including those conducted by The Business Leadership Network and The Conference Board, where she was also on the advisory committee for the Enterprise Learning Strategies Conference. For her communications expertise, Donna was invited to be a host at the Liz Claiborne Leadership Offsite to discuss branding during their "Progressive Dinner" event and more recently, a speaker at the Inc. Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX. Donna is the author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and is blogger on Pyschology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Randy Foye Foundation where she actively participates in its mission to assist children and families in Newark, NJ. Click here to visit Donna's website   HR Department Basic Functions How to Handle Discrimination Claims How to Write Better Job Descriptions Consensus Building Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing Employee Benefits A New Perk for the Broken Hearted |
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