3 Keys To Develop Your HR Philosophy

Top management and senior leaders are the decision makers in the organisation. However, the silent influencer in every organisation is no doubt the HR department.

Traditionally, HR is viewed as an administrative department with minimal or no impact on business strategies. Today, this notion is changing and we see HR taking on greater responsibilities and even taking a seat at the table. HR today has the power to motivate employees, deciding on organisation’s standards and building future leaders – essentially building a HR philosophy.

Building a strong HR philosophy is key to ensure the effectiveness of HR management. Employees are likely to develop a strong sense of belonging with a strong HR philosophy in place.

According to the definition stated in the Human Resource Philosophy published by International Journal of Management (IJM), "HR philosophy revolves around management’s beliefs and assumptions about people – their nature, needs, value and their approach to work." This eventually helps to shape the workplace culture, increasing employees’ productivity and engagement levels.

Here are some ways in which the HR department can develop a HR philosophy to build a stronger connection between the HR department and its strategies and objectives with employees.

Develop a thorough understanding of the organisation’s objectives

The first step towards a successful HR philosophy is to ensure that it is aligned with the organisation’s goals, objectives and values. And this means having a thorough understanding of the organisation’s values and mission. One needs to be able to clearly articulate the organisation’s short-term and long-term goals to HR employees. This then makes it easier and clearer for the HR department to come up with the right HR philosophy.

Establish good lines of communication

There is no value in developing a strong HR philosophy if it is not communicated properly to HR staff and employees within the organisation. The first step is identifying the key stakeholders – besides the HR department, who are the key employees that should be involved in communicating the HR philosophy. Thereafter, ensure that these key stakeholders have a clear understanding of the HR philosophy to ensure clear communication to the rest of the team members and employees.

Build a winning team

Finally, in order to ensure that the organisation’s HR philosophy takes off, it is imperative to ensure that the entire HR team is on the same page. This means involving the entire HR team when rolling out initiatives and gathering constant feedback to improve the HR philosophy. This will help to build a strong HR philosophy that aligns HR strategy and employees’ expectations with the organisation’s goals and objectives.