Like a marriage, the Human Resources Life Cycle (HR life cycle) goes through many unique changes. These changes offer businesses and employees new opportunities for growth, but they’re not without their challenges.
If your company has been experiencing a high rate of employee turnover, your HR life cycle could probably use some improvement.
There are many different models of the HR Life Cycle. There are three, four, seven, and eight-stage models. In this article we will be looking at one of the most popular cycles: the 5 stage HR cycle.
Each stage plays an important role during the employee’s time at the company. Such changes will ensure your employees are happy and motivated to give their best. Here is the 5 stages of the human resources life cycle that could help your business, along with the best ways to improve upon them.
- Recruitment
If you want a successful business, you need to hire the right people. That is where the recruitment process comes into play.
Just as communication is the cornerstone to a good relationship, it is equally as important that your employees have great communication techniques. A good employee is also motivated to work who brings great enthusiasm and energy to the job, and who is dependable, honest, adaptable, and punctual.
Your company can improve upon your recruitment process by developing a protocol for interviewing. This may include tests, active listening, and checking with multiple references.
Do not be afraid to do multiple interviews during the hiring process. This ensures that the job was done thoroughly.
It is important to take your time when hiring someone new for your company. It is also critical that if you quickly terminate employees who are not living up to their potential.
When care is taken with the recruitment process, a business will have low turnover rates, growth, and increased productivity.
- Education
If a new employee is to do well in your company, they must understand what their role is. Stage two of the human resources life cycle will help them do this.
Communicate openly and clearly with your employees about their roles and duties. Ensure you take the time to help them learn how to effectively manage their responsibilities and train them fully.
You can improve upon this process by implementing a buddy system in your training program. Have your new hire shadow a more experienced employee so that they have the opportunity to learn from experience, ask questions, and get to know their position fully before starting on their own.
- Motivation
Turnover rates are highest in the first ninety days of starting a new job. This is often due to a lack of enthusiasm and motivation.
HR Departments have found that a great way to keep employees motivated is through company incentives. This could be free trips or items for up-selling, company parties, milestone celebration, positive feedback, and the list goes on.
One survey of more than 50,000 employees found that those who had high morale and a positive work-life balance were 21 percent more productive at work. These employees bring a positive attitude to work, are pleasant to interact with for both customers and co-workers, and are more dedicated to the job.
While it is not your job to memorize every important detail about your employees, it is your job as a “human resources” officer (note the word: human) to take some interests in their needs and prioritize their morale.
- Evaluation
After a couple of months being with the company and setting goals and metrics to hit, the fourth stage of the human resources life cycle is for HR to measure employee performances. Company evaluations may sound intimidating to your employees, but they are essential for growth.
You can improve company evaluations by using them as an opportunity to encourage your employees. Give them positive feedback on the things they are doing well and constructive feedback on areas that could use improvement.
Your attitude will tell your employees everything they need to know. If you come into the evaluation coming off negative or unimpressed, your employees will be nervous or defensive. But, if you come in with a positive attitude, your employees will feel happy and motivated to do better.
Companies can improve on the evaluation stage by offering feedback on a regular basis instead of just during evaluations. They can also offer consistent training so that employees can continue to grow. Finally, companies have the option of employing life coaches and business coaches for the purpose of evaluation as well as to provide accountability on the progress of the goals at hand.
- Celebration
The most successful companies and businesses are adept at finding ways to recognize employee achievements.
You can do this by having a regular employee of the month celebrations, recognizing important milestones, and showing your appreciation in tangible ways such as gift cards, extra time off, and offering a flexible work schedule.
When HR departments take the time to acknowledge hard work, it makes employees feel valued and happy to continue giving their best. Not only does this contribute to boosted morale throughout the company, but it helps the business grow, evolve, and grants the HR department a positive reputation.
The celebration stage occurs when an employee does well in the company, but it can also happen when they are leaving your employ – perhaps moving onto new opportunities or returning to school at the end of the season. These are times to offer sincere appreciation and celebrate the time, energy, and effort that your employees gave to you during their time at your business.
Don’t let your HR management style bring down your business. No matter how big or small your business is, companies will benefit when they apply and improve upon the 5 stage HR life cycle. This will boost employee morale, increase productivity, and create a positive work environment.
Author Bio: Monica a self-driven person and loves to spend her leisure time reading interesting books that come her way. She is passionate about writing and collecting new books. She believes in hard work and it is her persistence that keeps her doing better. She is a perfectionist and doesn’t let go off things that don’t appear perfect to her. She loves traveling whenever she needs time off of her busy schedule. Her favorite holiday destination is Hawaii.
