HR News

Top 5 HR Articles for January

This article was by far the hardest to write in this series because there were so many amazing articles published in January!

Once again, I will be listing my favourite articles from January. If you are overwhelmed with the number of articles to choose from, start with these five.

1) Five expert tips for building a strong company culture by Rudi Dalman

If you are trying to build a strong company culture for your employees, or at least trying to promote creative thinking and brand loyalty, then this article is for you. Five different quotes were gathered from leading HR influencers from all over the world.

There is one particular quote that I really like, which is, “Get the basics right first” by Laurie Ruettimann. She mentions that culture is only possible to discuss once you do the basics: pay people well, treat them with dignity, and protect their civil rights. I could not agree more. The foundation is always the most important regardless of the subject.

The five quotes are super helpful in helping you realise the importance of a company culture. Each quote shows a different perspective on building a strong company culture, and this is a great article for you if you are new to the concept of a strong company culture.

2) Closing the Gap between HR and Employees: How to do it? by Jen Stroud

HR has always been known as the most crucial link between a company and its employees. HR is responsible for ensuring that all employees have a positive experience. However, research has shown that some employees are not particularly satisfied when interacting with HR systems and processes.

To bridge the HR gap, HR should look for a simpler way to manage its processes. Jen shares how by investing in three different strategic priorities, HR will be better equipped to deliver a stellar employee service experience. The three different strategic priorities are to automate HR processes, create a central portal, and track, manage, and prioritise.

Read the article to find out how these priorities will improve your communication between HR and employees. Remember, great HR service should be modern, user-friendly, and engaging.

3) The 3 Key Metrics in HR Predictive Analytics by Sharlyn Lauby

Firstly, Sharlyn shares the definition of predictive analytics vs HR metrics. She thinks that HR metrics tell you what happened in the past while predictive analytics offer insights into the future; it is focused on probabilities and impact, so it provides flexibility to the organisation’s needs. Both of these metrics are valuable, but they are not all the information we might need to make business decisions.

So why should HR pay attention to predictive analytics? Predictive analytics measure the three things business people talk about the most: efficiency, effectiveness, and outcomes. Moreover, to make these data valuable, it is all about what you do with the information you gather. Predictive analytics is also about the connection between these three types of measurement. Here is an example: Number of open hires (efficiency) – Quality of hire (effectiveness) – Length of employment (outcome).

This article is extremely insightful, and I learnt a lot just by reading it. HR metrics are not going away. Neither are predictive analytics. Therefore, read the article to understand further what Sharlyn is sharing.

4) The Top 7 Things on HR’s To-do List for 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby

This topic is really interesting because I have yet to come across a to-do list! Sharlyn is right in the gut when she says that trends are important, but what about action? Trends simply tell us the direction something is going, but to be successful, we have to know more than just the trend. We need to turn our knowledge into action.

This article was written after she gathered a group of friends and discussed the question, “What do you tell students who are looking to stay current?” As a result, here is the list of activities they recommend for HR professionals to put on their to-do list for 2017:

Assess your knowledge
Tap into your transferrable skills
Don’t forget leadership
Consider certification and education
Stay well-informed
Set goals
Network

Hopefully, this list has reminded you of what you need to do for 2017! Head over to read the article to find a more in depth explanation regarding the seven different points on the to-do list.

5) Your Company Culture is Responsible for Attracting and Retaining Talent by Sharlyn Lauby

I cannot help liking Sharlyn’s articles because her topics are always so captivating. Company culture is extremely important because it is the thing that keeps the organisation together. Everyone working together to achieve the company’s goals is a great company culture. However, many companies have yet to realise that the key to attracting, engaging, and retaining the best talent is having a culture with which employees want to be aligned.