Is It Time to Hire a Human Resources Manager?
There are many moving parts to owning a small business. While it may seem manageable to handle everything yourself at first, you’ll likely find it wise to delegate some of your responsibilities as your company grows. But, you should always have a pulse on the human resources side of your business.
There is nothing more important than keeping your employees happy. Accurate recordkeeping and onboarding processes play vital roles in staying compliant with labor laws and ensuring you’re retaining your valuable hires. If you feel overwhelmed by overseeing all things related to your employees, it’s likely time to hire an HR manager.
The importance of human resources
HR managers often fly under the radar, as they’re not the ones making sales or strategizing advertising campaigns. However, their importance to a company cannot be overstated. Just think about everything HR managers help with:
- Tracking qualified job candidates
- Performing phone interviews
- Onboarding new hires
- Training personnel
- Fielding and handling workplace complaints
- Managing employee benefits
- Compiling company policies, new hire forms, and onboarding agendas
Each of these tasks is essential to creating a promising path for your business and cultivating an environment where your employees enjoy working.
It will also help ensure your employees know who to go to with questions involving health benefits or workplace comforts. HR managers can even help with logistical concerns, such as assisting new hires find a place to live if they’re moving from out of state.
Why companies need an HR manager
- Compliance: The last thing you need as a small business owner is a lawsuit. When your company policies are hazy, you’re opening yourself up to exactly that. There are many regulations and laws that demand your closest attention when kick-starting and developing your company – like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA),sexual harassment laws and anti-discrimination policies. Compliance is necessary, or you will run into problems. A human resources manager will have the awareness, knowledge and training to ensure your business is compliant.
- Organization: The more employees your business hires, the more difficult recordkeeping becomes, so organization is an important quality every HR manager should have. Each employee should have their own file consisting of tax documents, new hire information, and authorized signatures. An HR manager can take the necessary steps to keep these files updated and private.
- Streamlined recruiting and hiring processes: A consistent and streamlined hiring process can help your small business grow. That may be tough to accomplish as a small business owner with a lot on your plate. The hiring process can slow down considerably if you’re primarily focused on making sales and dealing with clients. Your HR manager can create processes so candidates know what the job entails, when they’ll be contacted for an interview, and when you’ll follow up with an offer letter or rejection. There are no delays, confusion, or losing qualified candidates because of a disjointed or disorganized hiring process.
- Employee time tracking: It’s an HR manager’s responsibility to keep all things related to employees in order. Ensuring employees are being paid accurately is a big part of that. Advanced employee time tracking can make that task easier. An employee can clock in and out from an app on their smartphone. Their hours, including overtime, will automatically be calculated – making payroll a breeze!
When is the best time to hire a human resources manager?
Answering this question isn’t as easy as determining the best time of year to go on vacation. There’s no specific season or date when hiring an HR manager is best. It really boils down to when you feel the need.
Have you reached a point where you have too many employees to handle? Should you be focusing on growing the business rather than onboarding new hires, managing time off requests, and reporting and tracking employee expenses? Do you now have the luxury of assigning specialized positions?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, it’s probably the right time to hire an HR manager.