HR Nitty-Gritty: "It makes such a difference to motivation levels in a company when..."

In our ‘HR Nitty-Gritty’ series where we speak to HR practitioners and Experts. In this interview, we speak to Theresa from Simplified Business Services, an Independent HR consultancy offering Business Support Services.

1. How has HR changed since you first entered the sector?
HR has become a much more important function of the business itself. In the past employers were less interested in employee welfare, they just wanted a job done. Employee opinion did not matter. Fast forward to today- employers are beginning to understand and realise that there is a direct link to engaged employees and increased profits. Investors in People (an employee engagement accreditation) boasts of an average increase in profit of 50% after accreditation. I’m also seeing an increase in employee owned companies or stock share schemes.

2. How are HR departments managing / promoting employee engagement, in your experience?
By opening the lines of communication between employees and managers, encouraging feedback, staff surveys and most importantly by acting on the feedback received from employees. It makes such a difference to motivation levels in a company when the employees can see that their input and ideas are being taken on board by management.

3. What's the most common HR mistake you see?
When HR Managers think they are there just to keep the company compliant with employment law legislation. There is a big difference between HR and employment law. Some HR managers think their role is to hand out employment contracts, handbooks, and warning letters. In my opinion HR is about managing the company’s most important resource – it’s employees.

4. What's the future for the HR department, what does HR's role look like in 10-15 years?
I see HR taking on more facilitative role. The HR department will be less about employment law and being compliant and more about employee welfare. With the advent of smart phones and tablets I also see the HR department becoming more easily accessible to employees virtually as well.

5. What are some of your favorite websites for HR news?
I like TakeOn and Personnel Today

6. What does your company specialize in?
Putting frameworks in place that motivate and engage your employees such as Investors in People. We also offer a bespoke service to SME’s providing a complete HR Department service. A lot of small businesses cannot afford an HR department and probably have an office manager taking care of HR. For a small fee we provide that company with all the benefits and resources they would have gotten from a large HR department.