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For many small organizations, their HR department is composed of a team of one. In fact, according to Society for Human Resource Management, SHRM, almost 10% of their 275k+ members work in organizations with less than 100 people. Smaller staff sizes often mean the HR department is a one-person show. Ideally, it would be great to have additional support for recruiting, training, development, and benefit administration—however, for many organizations it just isn’t feasible.
In my experience, the most successful solo HR professionals have learned to create a balance between providing strategic guidance to their organization and utilizing support resources when needed. After all, the mere volume of work alone could leave even the most successful HR professional covered in paperwork.
Many organizations not only want all of their standard HR requirements met but additional development as well. While all of this may sound daunting to a single person operation, it is possible.
SHRM recently spoke with just a few of the country’s top HR professionals running their departments alone to uncover how they are not only surviving but thriving to meet the needs of their organization. What they found was that many HR leaders are using similar solutions to get the job done. So what’s their secret?
• Technology: There are many great tech resources available now to smaller organizations that were previously only available to larger groups. Sometimes it does require some innovative thinking but many solo HR professionals have found ways to meet their record keeping and reporting needs with similar ease to their organizations.
• A Connection Network: With a team of HR people, there are always ideas flowing and new solutions being discussed and shared. If you’re the only person on your team, you’re typically not afforded the luxury of this. By creating a connection network with other HR professionals, you can still stay on top of the latest developments in HR and have the support of others in your field to bounce ideas off of. This can be accomplished at a local level and national level through various groups, organizations, and online websites like Linkedin. By joining the conversation, you are staying in the loop on what’s now and what’s next with those in your field, even if you’re the only one in the room.
• Partnerships: One of the greatest qualities to have when leading a department alone is to know when you need help. Sometimes certain issues take precedence over others and while both are important, you can’t be all things to all people. HR professionals who fly solo make use of the resources available to them by developing partnerships with established vendors and consultants. By developing these support relationships, they are better equipped to give a 100% to all. Recruiting, training development, and strategic organizational solutions are tasks that are typically outside of the day to day HR role for smaller organizations. Often times, HR leaders have many great ideas that they just don’t have the time or support to execute. By enlisting the help of other service providers, they can focus on the areas where they are really needed and accomplish the goals they have set forth for their organization.
If you would like more information on how to incorporate HR solutions into your success plan or need support for your HR team, please see our HR Solutions and contact us today. We specialize in recruiting and strategic development and will create a solution that is right for you and the specific needs of your company.
