Every HR professional knows the feeling: the relentless pressure of routine tasks competing with the need for innovation & improvement, and finding the slack time to talk & listen to employees & managers on the floor.
Initially, I believed that selecting the perfect framework for an organisation or team was vital, depending on the context at hand. I wish it would be that easy. Reality has taught me this is not always as straightforward. In this blog, we will explore the reality of an average HR team.
HR teams are often tasked with executing a multitude of routine functions that keep the organization running smoothly:
- Administering absence
- Processing monthly payments
- Handling various requests
- Providing answers to queries from both employees & managers
- etc
These routine tasks are the lifeblood of HR, ensuring that the workforce remains productive and satisfied.
“Standing still is going backwards”. To stay healthy, the team should also embrace progress and hence, spend a fair amount on improvement or innovation initiatives.
HR teams strive to refine their processes, reduce errors, and streamline operations. These improvements are crucial for enhancing efficiency and ensuring a smoother experience for all stakeholders. Examples of improvement initiatives include:
- Reducing errors in the payroll process.
- Decreasing the processing time for requests like parental leave.
- Shortening response times to applicant inquiries.
The common thread among these improvements is that they involve tweaking existing processes to make them better. In this case, the “customers” – employees and managers – have a clear idea of what they want, making it easier to determine the direction of improvement efforts.
Innovation, on the other hand, takes HR teams into uncharted territory. It involves creating something entirely new or revolutionizing existing practices. This could encompass initiatives, such as:
- Redefining benefits & compensation schemes to eliminate complexity
- Introducing new software to manage personal development plans
- Implementing a ‘Just Culture’ approach to address human errors more positively.
The key distinction between improvement and innovation lies in the intent: improvement refines what already exists, while innovation forges new paths. Innovations are often less predictable, and the wants and needs of “customers” might not be as clear-cut. It is also not uncommon to require endorsement from the unions.
Depending on the task at hand, I suggest selecting a different approach to maximise effectiveness & efficiency:
| Activity | Domain | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Daily work | Managed Processes | Kanban board, process description, health checks, training for new HR team members, etc. |
| Continuous improvement | Lean & Six Sigma | DMAIC project, Pareto analysis, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Root cause analysis, standardisation, etc. |
| Innovation | Agile | Retrospectives, Impact mapping, Brainstorming, Experimentation, Backlog, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), etc. |
I regularly hear the complaint that there is not sufficient time for one of the core activities of HR: listening to the employees. That requires slack. By rethinking the way of working for the HR team as described above, peace of mind & slack can be created. This will make the HR work even more rewarding.
Conclusion
In the world of HR, it is important to understand the nature of the task at hand and to select the appropriate approach and tools. By doing so, HR teams can maintain the balance between executing routine tasks, driving positive change, creating the slack required to be there for employees, and ultimately contributing to the overall success of the organization.
Interested in learning how this would work for your team or organisation?