According to consultant Brad Power, human resources can and should be an integral part of the change and improvement at a company. Power lists a number of ways that human resources can do this.

One important way that a company’s human resources department can drive change is through the hiring process, making it clear to those being recruited that the company values new perspectives and fresh ideas and that you want to include them in the change process. As you bring them on board, you can orient them to the changes that are taking place. A training program can incorporate improvement strategies as well for new employees.

Also, human resources can contribute to change by spearheading recognition of those who become change agents in the company. A company’s human resources department can develop retraining processes to move people freed up by process improvements into new assignments.

With regard to finding the right people, a firm’s HR professionals can help company leadership accurately describe what job requirements are and then effectively assess the skills of employees/applicants –  then match the two.

Human resources departments also can help change by developing rewards that match with the new ways of doing things. For example, at a health insurance company a manager who oversees the way the company works with healthcare providers developed a new structure that was guided by medical specialties, such as obstetrics and gynecology. By doing this, workers would work in a specialty and be more knowledgeable about what they were dealing with. The firm’s human resources professionals needed to provide help in figuring out how to link rewards to the new performance model.

Human resources also can be effective in developing programs to help improve managers’ skills at making change in an organization. At one railroad company, for example, the human resources department set up a process excellence group to help improvement and change at the company. This group takes selected managers and puts them through a program that lasts more than a year to train them in new skills.

Maintaining improvement and change at companies comes down to the people who work there, Power says. So it is easy to see how processes in human resources can retard improvement, or help to accelerate it, depending on how HR responds to the situation.

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As a human resources specialist, one of your responsibilities is working with procedures and policies that pertain to corporate culture, the values and goals of the company and how they can be best achieved by employees.

In doing this, human resources should lead the way in fostering the idea of the company as a neighborhood, according to business and psychology professor Art Markman.

Some companies promote a market environment, the idea that each person is paid what according to the value he or she brings to the company,, and that the individual and his or her performance takes precedence. But Markman argues that it is difficult for a company to really function with a market mentality. This kind of arrangement really does little to develop loyalty to a company among employees. It mostly just promotes their loyalty to their compensation.

Markman says companies should promote environments that are combinations of neighborhoods and hierarchies. In a neighborhood, people don’t share things equally, but there is an impetus toward equality. If you have a problem at your home, removing some large tree limbs, for example, a good neighbor is likely to lend a hand. And if your neighbor has a problem sometime, you would lend a hand.

Most people are familiar with hierarchies – everyone has a position, with those at the top getting more privileges, while those lower on ladder usually just take orders. Most companies take the form of hierarchies, where the higher ups take on more responsibility for running the company and get more pay and other rewards in return.

But the idea of a neighborhood gets less emphasis at companies. If you are walking down your street and you see that a neighbor’s trash can has fallen over, you probably pick it up. You do this, Markman says, because you think of your neighborhood as an extension of yourself. You are part of a larger community and you do what you can to help that community.

A company should work the same way. A business really cannot be its best unless the people who work there think of themselves as part of something bigger. People might go the extra mile in their job if they see their boss hovering over their shoulder, but they are more likely to work hard if they feel a part of the neighborhood that is their company, and feel that everyone is pitching in for the good of the neighborhood.

But it’s a two-way street – the company needs to also support these neighborhood values. It can do this, for example, by helping out workers who are having personal problems or providing educational opportunities for employees. Fairness also is important in helping to develop this loyalty.

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There is a lively debate going on in the business world about the idea of certification in human resources. Namely, does it enable an increase in effectiveness or does it just represent a body of knowledge steeped in old, conventional ways of thinking.

At some companies, certification is mandatory, while other companies wrinkle their noses at it, saying they don’t want to go near any human resource person with an alphabet soup after his or her name.

Officials at the HR Certification Institute contend that certification has always been desired by employers, and that it is more and more becoming a requirement, leading to an increase in demand for it. One Institute official said she is hearing from recruiters that employers want the credential, which is more proof of how important it has become.

But others are not so enthusiastic about it.

One business school professor is unimpressed with certification, noting that it really won’t help anyone in the current job market. A person with a master’s degree in human resources will certainly be more sought after than someone with a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification, he said, especially by bigger companies. He added that experience also will hold greater weight than certification.

If you already have an advanced degree, certification in human resources is essentially useless, the professor added. What is more important, he said, is what a person can bring to the job, the ability to take on managers and challenge their viewpoint, to bring something new to the table.

Netflix is one company that is unimpressed with credentials in the human resources field. A recent job advertisement on the company’s website states that it’s not looking for an OD practitioner, a person with a certificate, or a person who specializes in policy guidelines. These are all signs that the person is steeped in the old ways of doing human resources, the type that is not done at Netflix, the job posting says. These are designations that the company really does not assign much value to.

So, the debate continues – between those who believe that the credential lends greater knowledge and expertise, and those who believe it locks a person into an old-fashioned way of thinking. But, as with any position, on-the-job performance will most likely be the deciding factor in this debate.

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One very good way of learning about how things are going at a company and the atmosphere of the company is to listen to the stories employees tell about their work experiences.

You may hear more positive stories – about the hard work that people do to keep their customers happy, or how they work with customers to determine new products. But the stories also may be more negative – how management didn’t like an idea, or how management expected too much without providing the needed resources to get the job done.

The question is whether the stories employees tell help to promote the culture that you want at your company, or whether the stories of your work culture will be a hindrance to your success.

Human resource consultant Susan Heathfield argues that the stories people tell are potent influences in forming the culture of companies. What employees talk about and the stories they share, can set the tone for the entire organization. It is an important part of the working life of employees, Heathfield says.

These stories have an even greater influence on new employees because they become part of the new person’s learning process. They are instrumental in forming expectations about the company and in expected behavior.

Since these narratives about the company are so important, what can you do to promote positive stories?

Heathfield says the first thing to do is to listen. Find out what kinds of stories are making the rounds at your company, and are they the kinds of stories that are good for the company.

If you don’t like what you hear, get together a team of employees that represents different levels and areas of the company. It will be their job to listen to the stories in the company, to monitor the atmosphere.

Tell stories of your own. When you have meetings, make sure to tell positive and inspiring stories. But also make sure that you have a culture in your company that makes these stories believable. You have to be able to back up your stories with action. Also, make outstanding employee contributions part of your company history, something you highlight on your company website or handbook, and something you pass on to all new employees.

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As you try to fill openings at your company with the most talented people possible, you are obviously working to come up with the best questions to ask job candidates. Naturally, applicants have questions of their own, some more probing than others. But it is to these more probing questions that your human resources department should have good answers if you want to compete for the best candidates.

Some of these questions applicants are more likely to ask than others, but all of them are the kinds of questions that human resources professionals should be asking themselves. Dealing with hard questions also will help your company clarify goals and values to help employees perform better.

Some things that applicants might be curious about are why employees like working for the company, what brought them to the company and what the work atmosphere is like.

Other questions might include the philosophy of the business and its strengths and weaknesses.

Other queries are more of the nuts-and-bolts type, such as what the day-to-day responsibilities of the open position are, how quickly the company wants to find someone for the job, and the next step in the interviewing process. Although perhaps not a common question, a candidate may ask how his or her skills compare with other applicants.

Candidates also might be interested to know what the company values the most in terms of what its employees contribute.

Other questions might include whether there is a career path at the company, chances of advancement and other opportunities the position might offer.

A candidate might want to know where most of the company’s senior management comes from – a particular area of the company or a variety of areas and he or she also may ask about any major problems facing the company or department.

An applicant might also ask about how the open position contributes to the bottom line.

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One of the regulatory traps that businesses sometimes fall into when they use staffing services is the employment classification of contingent workers.

Many times a business that uses contingent workers from a staffing firm takes on certain responsibilities for the workers, responsibilities usually associated with “regular” employment.

By doing this, the company allows itself to be considered an employer, along with the staffing agency, opening itself to the liability that goes with being an employer.

There are some straightforward guidelines that will help a company avoid being considered an employer of the temporary workers.

The first one is something not to do – don’t repeat the same functions as the staffing agency. If you are going to do that, why hire the firm in the first place? Sometimes, businesses will take on the task of recruiting, selecting and interviewing potential temporary employees. This is what you are paying the staffing agency to do. If your business takes on those tasks, the prospective employee will think your business is the hiring organization. You might not be real keen on having the staffing agency do these things, but the firm’s thoroughness will surprise you. If you have doubts, ask the staffing service to show you how it tests and selects employees.

Also, if you have a large number of contingent workers at your company check with the staffing firm to see if it can have a representative stay at your company. Known as an “on-site” arrangement, this is the most effective way to handle administrative tasks,  and it also allows for better communication between you and your staffing firm. It also emphasizes to the temporary workers that the staffing agency is the employer.

Never take any disciplinary action directly against a contingent worker. Always go through the staffing agency. If you want to terminate the worker, you should discuss it and the reasons for it with the staffing agency, and the agency should then take the necessary action.

As part of this, you should be willing to share the worker’s performance shortcomings with the staffing agency. Then, if the worker is let go, the agency will be able to provide the worker with a specific reason, which will usually eliminate the possibility of charges of discrimination. Discrimination is sometimes alleged when a temporary worker is let go but no reason is given, which leads the person to believe something unethical is going on.

And finally, make sure your company policy clearly states that benefit plans are off limits to contingent workers.

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In the business world today, the way a firm’s leaders exercise their authority has to change radically from the way they have done so in the past if companies are to survive in fast-paced, global economies.  That’s the message of Barry Salzberg, soon to be the global chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

The model can no longer be the captain of the ship style of barking orders to underlings who loyally carry them out to the letter.  The organizational structure that is built around an inflexible chain of command is a thing of a past, outdated and out of touch with today’s reality.

In today’s organization, leadership needs to be pervasive, not just something that comes from a few people at the top.  Leaders need to be open and honest with their workers.  Leadership has to come from everyone in the organization, old and young alike, who are able to be more nimble, more efficient and more innovative than the competition.

The idea now is to create an atmosphere that is helpful to all workers, one where everyone has input, given rise to even greater innovation.

Leadership is needed everywhere in an organization, not just in the executive suite.  So the corporate ladder metaphor no longer holds.  Employees need the flexibility to move in different directions in an organization, not just up, depending on their particular circumstances.

Leaders today not only need to be accessible to all employees, they need to actively solicit employee input.  They need to show that employees can freely voice their opinions without concern that there will be some kind of negative consequences.  Leaders need to get out of the office and meet regularly with managers.  There is no substitute for personal contact, according to Salzberg.

Leaders also need to be open and honest with their employees, especially in a world where social networks are playing a larger and larger role.  Communication can travel much more quickly now, and directives from leadership can spread around the organization in the blink of an eye — there is no place to hide.

Another foundation of leadership is facing up to problems, not pretending they aren’t there.  You cannot avoid problems and think that they will go away.  Only by actively engaging with problems can you take care of them.  The most important role of the leader, according to Salzberg, is delivering the truth, and making sure everyone has input.  It is impossible to build up trust in an organization without doing this.

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A recent study has shown that the way managers are viewed is likely to change in the future as more women move into management positions.

Currently, only about two percent of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women.  And so when most people think of leaders, they envision a male in the position.  But in some businesses, women have moved into leadership roles, and in these areas, there is no stereotype of who a leader is.

Another survey has shown that these stereotypes of leaders as men have been an obstacle for women who want to move up the corporate ladder.  Because of these stereotypes, surveys have shown that businesses are not fully using the talents and abilities of the women in their organizations.  Women make up more than half of the people serving in management, professional and related jobs, but only a little more than 15 percent of them were corporate executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The research has shown that it is not women’s management style that is to blame for the dearth of female executives but gender stereotyping.  And because of this stereotyping, companies are losing out on a lot of female management talent.

Men are still seen as capable of better leadership because of gender stereotyping, which often puts women in a no-win situation, as they are faulted for whatever methods they use.  For example, if they act according to gender stereotypes, they are thought to be too soft, but if they oppose those stereotypes, they are thought to be too hard.

Female executives are held to higher standards than men, but they receive less compensation.  They often have to work even harder than a man just to get the same level of recognition.

Women who are assertive as leaders are stereotyped as cold-hearted and not friendly, but if they take on a more feminine leadership personality, they are considered poor leaders.

All the research shows that businesses need to develop plans for how to combat these stereotypes so that they can get the best use out of their female management talent.  Educating employees about these stereotypes and their effects was listed as a key method of changing attitudes about women and leadership.

Organizations need to give all workers the resources to enable them to be more aware of the skills that women leaders have and how stereotypes can harm organizations.  Businesses also need to look at new ways of counteracting stereotypes in the workplace.

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While mechanization is certainly an integral part of how businesses operate today, the human factor is still vital in countless areas of manufacturing, sales and transportation. Keeping workers engaged in their jobs is vital to maintaining a high level of production.

There is much a company can do to create an environment where workers feel they are vital to the outcome of a company’s mission whether it be in manufacturing or customer service.

One suggestion to keeping employees productive, engaged, and giving 100 percent of their effort is to create the right work environment. Let them have a say in everyday operations. Give them ample control over how things are done. When possible, supervisors should keep a low profile as long as employees are getting the job done. This instills a sense of trust with employees.

Management should do all it can to see that members of a company’s workforce are fully equipped to do their assigned jobs. That means providing all the necessary training and information. Set goals for workers, and provide positive feedback when it is deserved.
Supervisors should provide clear expectations and specific deadlines when assigning projects. This way both parties are aware of what is expected. Workers also should know who they can go to when problems arise.

Giving workers decision-making authority is another way to empower them. As an example, one businessman gave his customer service staff permission to spend up to $400 when resolving customer service issues without having to seek permission from upper management.

Remember, though, there is a flip side to every coin. Management practices that ignore the positive results mentioned above can have negative ramifications that ultimately harm a business.

Paying less than competitive wages sends a clear message that the company cares little for its workers and much more about profits. When workers feel unappreciated they are likely to be less productive and are more likely to look for work elsewhere. Remember to pay workers fairly and competitively.

Secondly, let employees know they are appreciated. Praise and recognition for a job well done goes a long way. Hard working employees who get no positive feedback are likely to respond by slowing down and doing just enough to get by.

While empowering workers can be a good thing, a company shouldn’t overdo it. Giving someone too many responsibilities beyond what his or her position calls for can have negative results. A business doesn’t want to leave workers with the feeling they are being “dumped” on. When that happens and nothing is given in return, such as a raise, time off or another type of perk, supervisors shouldn’t surprised when the grumbling begins and workers begin knocking on the doors of a firm’s competitors.

When a company doesn’t take people for granted and shows its appreciation for its employees hard work, the firm likely will have a contented workforce willing to go the extra mile.

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They are referred to in different ways – communications skills, personality traits, soft skills.  But whatever they are called, recent studies have shown that they are just as important to a company’s success as other more quantifiable business skills.

About 75 percent of those surveyed identified these employee skills as necessary to success.  These skills include listening, persuading others, and working together.  Moreover, in successful companies, about 85 percent of those surveyed said these skills were necessary for success.

These kinds of skills are just as important as other business skills in helping a company meet its goals, according to human resource managers.  And companies that try to educate employees in such skills call them critical for their success.

The skills that companies most frequently work on with their employees include teamwork, the duties of leaders, coaching, time management, listening, verbal and written communication, and project management.

These skills not only are important for success, but also for adapting to changes in the business environment.  When making a change, communication skills become especially important, not just to explain to employees what is happening, but to motivate them to work at the change, according to human resource advisors.  These skills are also important when it comes to working with younger employees just entering the workforce.  This generation of workers wants constant feedback, and so communication becomes even more important.

To encourage the development of these kinds of skills at your organization, the first thing to do is figure out what particular communication skills are most important to your business. Observe the star performers at the company and see how they use these skills. Someone at the executive level should be in charge of implementing the training program for these skills.  It’s important to have someone at this level supporting the program because these skills are harder to measure quantitatively, and so it’s harder to show their value. But you also should try to measure the things that are measurable.  Feedback from a range of co-workers can help to determine what particular skills an employee needs to work on.  Surveys can help to get a sense of how well the lines of communication are working throughout the organization, as well as teamwork.

Then, target those specific skills which are most important to the success of your business or your department.  For some, teamwork may be the key skills that needs improvement; for others, it may be time management or listening skills.

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