At some point, small start-up companies that find success in their efforts will grow to a significant size and will require additional internal resources to function. While there are numerous internal resources that can be implemented in an organization to further promote success as a company grows, the human resources department is a critical resource that all companies will eventually need if they become large enough and successful enough. The question that many business owners face, however, relates to knowing when to get an HR department. Taking on the additional overhead before it is necessary can actually be detrimental to a young company.
Handling Office Conflicts
The fact is that having even a one-person human resources department dedicated to handling all aspects of human resources can be a true benefit to a growing operation. One key function that an effective human resources office can handle relates to dealing with office conflicts. Some interoffice conflicts relate to offenses that may require appropriate disciplinary action, and others may indicate the need for the company to develop or revise internal procedures and requirements. These conflicts can take up a considerable amount of a business owner’s time and energy. If you find that handling these conflicts on your own is taking up too much of your time and is affecting your ability to run your company, it may be time to hire a human resources professional.
Monitoring Government Regulations
You may be aware that there are numerous regulations that employers must comply with, such as posting minimum wage requirements in the office and monitoring OSHA compliance, to name a few. Human resources professionals can help you to monitor these changing regulations and to ensure compliance. If you are not aware of government regulations affecting your company or if you have not been proactive in monitoring changes to these regulations, this may be a sign that you need to hire a human resources administrator.
Filling Job Openings
Trying to find the right talent for even a single position in your company can be challenging. Everything from writing an effective employment ad to screening resumes and vetting candidates can take a considerable amount of your time and energy. If you have been struggling to find the right candidates for your positions or if you find that these tasks are too burdensome to deal with because of other pertinent tasks that you are responsible for, it may be time to consider developing a human resources department.
An Alternative
In some companies, growing pains may be felt because of human resources tasks before the need for a full-time human resources professional is warranted. One option to consider is to have one of your employees obtain a human resources certification and to adopt at least some of the responsibilities that you may otherwise be responsible for. Once the company reaches a more significant size, you can then consider implementing a full department with one or more full-time human resources professionals.
As a company grows, it is bound to experience some growing pains, and it can be challenging for a business owner to determine what the right move is to make when dealing with some of these issues. Human resources certification can help you prepare one or more employees to assist you in providing excellent customer service. Before a company can reach a certain size, it will inevitably need to develop a human resources department. However, if you need additional assistance but are not quite ready to develop a full HR department, you can consider the benefit of asking one of your employees to obtain an HR certification.