New year – new you! It’s that time of year, isn’t it?

With the sun shining and a proper summer under our belts, it’s time to settle back into routine and get back to business. Many of us come back from the break with an added vigour for reaching our goals, moving forward, and setting ourselves and our businesses up for success.

But are your team on the same path as you?

You might be enthusiastic and have a clear path ahead of you, but no employer can achieve their goals without the commitment and efforts of the people around them. Just as important as your business planning is taking the time to think about what your people need and how you can inspire them to take the journey with you.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

Henry Ford.

Easier said than done right?

Here are some ideas to consider, to make sure your team are fully on board and with you every step of the way:
1. Communicate your vision and plans – A key starting point for having your team on board is to make sure they know where you are going, why it’s important and to help them feel excited by the possibilities.

Often Companies approach their vision like a “one and done” exercise – one presentation and everyone will know it, be brought in and working towards it. Not so.

Now is a great time to re-energise your team by taking about your vision, helping them to understand the difference your business can make and feel excited for the year ahead.

2. Develop your WIFM – You care about your plans, your Board will care, your management
team will care – but do your people? And why should they? Think carefully around how your
business success will benefit them. It may for the greater good, for financial success or job
security. Whatever the reason is, be clear and communicate this. Your team also need a
reason to care.

3. Create an HR plan – Having a strong HR foundation which creates a great workplace will help
to foster motivation and encourage your team to support you. Reviewing your current HR
practices, identifying improvement areas, communicating your plan and following through
on it is key. It will help your team to see that they are important as well, make them feel
valued and encourage commitment to the business.

4. Check your engagement levels – The start of the year is different for everyone. Some feel
energised, some feel ready for change – and some just want to go back to the beach! A pulse
survey helps you check the mood and put some “quick wins” or initiatives in place which can
refocus and energise your team.

5. Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more – Once again, “one and done”
won’t get you the best results and commitment you need for success. Review your
communication methods and make sure they line up with where you want to go this year.
Do you include regular business updates, town hall events, celebrations of success and
milestones? Once you have your team committed to your goals, you will need to have a plan
to keep them with you throughout the year.

“The bigger the dream, the more important the team. “

Positive People have over 25 years’ experience helping businesses motivate and engage their teams.
We partner with you to create HR plans which support business success. Contact us now to find out more.

If nothing else, the past few years have taught us all how important it is to have the right people, with the right skills and motivation in our businesses. Having staff that will cope with change, support each other and make the right decisions has been a critical part of organisations successfully weathering this extremely difficult period.

And 2023 is shaping up already to be another year full of curve balls and surprises that your business, and team, must cope with.

Being prepared, focusing on the right HR areas, and having a strong HR plan in place will take centre stage this year as we navigate the year ahead.

So, how do you get the right plan in place?

1. Start with your business goals.

Key to having the right HR plan in place is being clear about your business goals for 2023, and understanding what you need from your people to achieve them.

• Are you planning growth? Then you will need a strong employment brand and recruitment strategy to attract top quality candidates
• Are you changing your product or service offering? This will mean you need a team which is comfortable with change, and ready to grow and develop their skills.
• Do you expect it to be a tough year? Your team will need to be resilient and engaged, to help them cope with the challenges this brings.

Knowing what you need from your team for success will enable you to focus on the right areas and ensure your plan is meaningful.

2. Conduct an environmental scan.

Legislation, economic conditions and immigration settings all impact on your people. In today’s world it is essential to understand what is going on around you and to plan how you can work around impediments by having strong HR initiatives which enable performance and deliver staff retention.

• Do you expect a fair pay agreement to be initiated, or has one been already?
• How will immigration impact your talent pipeline? Do you need to work hard to retain staff as it is difficult to recruit?
• How will your people cope with the increased cost of living? Do they need help with financial planning and are your wage levels keeping up with the market to support them through this?

3. Assess your current HR practices.

Most Companies have gaps or improvement areas in their HR practices. Having a real understanding of deficiencies by working through each HR topic thoroughly will give you a clear overview of potential focus areas. It is important to dig deeper and go beneath the surface when undertaking this assessment.

• You may have a performance review process in place, but do the reviews actually happen? And does it result in improved performance or is it a tick box exercise?
• If you do conduct engagement surveys, do you create a strong plan off the back of them? And does your plan improve engagement?

Be honest as a business on what you do well and what areas don’t work as intended. This will ensure you identify the right areas to work on.

4. Prioritise and create your plan.

Once you have assessed your current practices and highlighted areas for improvement, it is time to link these back to your business goals and environmental scan.

• What HR areas will have the most impact?
• What improvement initiatives will support your business goals the most?
• What areas will cause your plans to fail if you don’t get them right?

In every business there are always any number of people initiatives that you can introduce.

Identifying the key actions in your HR plan will ensure you take the right steps in 2023 to create a highly engaged and productive workforce.

Positive People has been helping businesses create fit-for-purpose HR plans for organisations for over 25 years. Contact us now or call 09 445 1077 to discuss your 2023 HR Plan.

Your people determine your success. And HR exists to ensure that your people are best able to achieve your business goals.

In these times, just letting the people connected aspects in your business unfold as they do can have a negative impact on your business. All HR matters need to be thought about, positively steered and well managed to get the optimum out of your people and also to prevent and reduce all associated employment risks.

This is where having a clear and communicable HR Plan is essential.

An HR Plan gives direction, assures your staff that you value them, and allows for all the different aspects of HR that impact on your business to be effectively managed for best return. And, importantly, it sets up a great employee experience which is key to retaining your good people.

An HR Plan will usually include:

• Key business goals
• Identification of the key HR areas in your business that will support the achievement of your business goals. For example – HR Strategy, Recruitment, Communication, Engagement, Training and Leadership Development, Performance Management, Culture, HR policies, Resource planning, Remuneration
• An objective associated with each of the identified areas
• Prioritised actions to take
• Assigned responsibilities
• Deadlines
• HR Plan communication
• Monthly review process

With a solid HR Plan in place supporting your business objectives, you will be well set up to meet all HR challenges that arise head-on and ensure your business success.

Positive People is has over 25 years experience in developing and implementing HR Plans. Speak to us today. Call us on 09 445 1077 or email info@positivepeople.co.nz