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Are your team on board?

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.

Chanel Finnigan No Comments

Developing the right HR plan for 2023

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.

  1. 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?
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

 

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MAKE YOUR HR PLAN MATTER IN 2022

HR SUCCESS IN 2022

PERMANENT FLEXIBILITY & AN EMPLOYEE FOCUS

 

It’s been a tough two years, with plenty of change and many challenges thrown our way. And 2022 is shaping up to be the same. Many businesses and teams have done an amazing job during the Covid period – you have shown resilience, adapted quickly and demonstrated creativity and compassion in your Covid responses.

But what happens now?

NZ is right in the midst of the Covid wave, and at some stage this year we hope to emerge on the other side.

Looking ahead to what to expect in the HR space this year will be critical to continuing your strong business performance, attracting and retaining talent – and keeping your team safe and sane.

As you finalise your planning for 2022, here are some of the top considerations for your HR Plan:

  • The tight recruitment market – You will have all seen the labour market statistics, and with near full employment in New Zealand and the tight restrictions on immigration it is a candidate’s market right now. The number of applicants you receive will be well down on usual numbers, and quality candidates will be in the mix for several roles. It is critical you review your employment branding and recruitment processes to ensure you present a positive Company image, deliver a great candidate experience, and move quickly. Your offer needs to come first and be the most enticing if you are to win the war for talent. Is your employment brand attractive to candidates?

 

  • Retention of talent – With such a tight market, direct approaches to candidates are becoming more frequent. Even the most loyal team member can be tempted to take a look at a role promising a decent salary increase and other enticing benefits. Staying close to your talent will help you combat this. Make sure you know how they are feeling, what their career goals are and keep their development going – even during these trying times. Your investment in them and support will be remembered and repaid by continued service.

 

  • Wage Pressure – The tight labour market has driven up market rates. Add this to the minimum wage increase and the current inflation rates, and staff expectations are high. Recent articles in the media and statements from Unions around the cost of living has added to this. Getting ahead of the curve and reassessing your remuneration strategy is a proactive step to take so you can keep up with the market and retain your team members.

 

  • Wellness – While this has been critical throughout the pandemic, with Covid fatigue well entrenched, now is the time to think creatively about how to ensure your staff are taking real action to stay well. Most people have seen plenty of social media posts and posters around keeping well – but are they listening and is it working? Is it time to adapt to this entrenched environment and try something new on the Wellness front?

 

  • Flexible work – While this has been a top consideration for candidates for some time, it will become a critical factor for your current team once we steer through the Omicron wave. Employees are used to working from home, and for the most part have learned to do this effectively. They have also adapted their life accordingly. Once the wave passes and we start to go back to “normal” it will be a good time to review what that “normal” will look like. Staff that once happily commuted to work may not like the transition back, and new patterns will have emerged that your team may not want to give up, like picking up the kids from school and taking lunch time walks. It is time to take the learning from this period and design a flexible work system which accommodates this and becomes your new “normal”.

 

Being proactive in your HR planning and recognising which factors are important right now will help you implement the right HR strategies for current times. It is not a normal time – and a normal approach won’t be effective.

Positive People has 27 years’ experience helping businesses design HR plans which deliver great employment results and are fit for your individual circumstances.

Contact us now on 09-445 1077 to assist you to develop and implement an effective HR Plan.

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Developing an Annual 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