How HR Managers Can Make a Difference in Every Employee’s Life

Human resource managers are granted both the power and responsibility to take care of their employees. When employees have issues in the workplace or when personal struggles affect their work performance, they turn to their HR team for support. In addition, there are many ways employees rely on their HR managers without even realizing it, such as in creating a work environment that develops their strengths. Because of this, HR managers have the ability to positively impact their employees. Below are four ways HR managers can make a difference in every employee’s life.

Be a Coach

Employees today are looking for managers who can coach them, rather than control them. Employees respect the managers who respect them and help them focus on their strengths. Gallup says employees “care about having team leaders who can coach them, who value them as individuals and employees, and who help them understand and build their strengths.”

Strengths-based leadership is becoming increasingly popular as leaders and organizations discover focusing on weaknesses is ineffective. The old way of thinking was to focus on weaknesses until they became strengths. Not only has this proven to be a waste of time, money, and talents, but it breeds mediocrity and prevents people from becoming experts in their strengths. 

Employees “don’t want a manager who fixates on their weaknesses. Gallup research shows that weaknesses never develop into strengths, while strengths develop infinitely. Your organization should not ignore weaknesses. Rather, you should understand weaknesses but maximize strengths. A strengths-based culture also helps you attract and keep star team members.” (Gallup)

Foster Development

Development is one of the key things employees look for in today’s workplace. By offering opportunities for growth and learning, HR managers foster development and help employees become the best versions of themselves. “Offering employees learning and development opportunities is vital to business growth and success, positively impacting employee engagement and performance and helping to mold future leaders. However, while many companies go to great lengths to hire and onboard suitable and qualified employees, it often stops there, with little effort to nurture and develop them.” (Hibob)

HR managers should facilitate learning opportunities both within and without the workplace. In the workplace, employees should be empowered with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their current roles, as well as in the advanced roles to which they aspire. HR Exchange Network says, “Just about everyone has talked about the skills gap and how employers need to prepare their people for the future of work. For CHROs, this means ensuring their company has a learning and development platform that both trains people for their current roles and provides them with learning opportunities for career growth. In addition, developing a culture of lifelong learning is a necessity as businesses confront advanced technology and rapidly changing business needs.”

Similarly, HR managers can offer learning opportunities outside the workplace to help employees with personal development. For example, employers can offer tuition reimbursement, financial education programs, learning hours, and more to support employees in their search for growth and learning. 

Provide Benefits Beyond the Workplace

Care and benefits packages provided by HR managers don’t have to be limited to the workplace. In fact, it’s advantageous to companies to provide benefits that go beyond the workplace. By supporting the personal lives of employees, employers foster an environment that respects and recognizes employees as humans instead of solely as workers. Employees who feel this level of respect and recognition perform better at work and are happier with their jobs. Benefits such as mental health resources and financial wellness programs allow employees to have more stable personal lives, and therefore more satisfactory work lives.

HR Exchange Network says, “Providing enhanced mental health benefits packages and opportunities for stress reduction to avoid burnout are necessities. Life is more complicated than ever, and the point everyone agrees with is that employers should offer support for wellbeing because it will help their teams function better and be more productive. It’s also the right thing to do.”

Furthermore, benefits such as financial wellness programs allow employees to take greater advantage of their work. With financial wellness benefits, not only does their job provide a paycheck, but it also provides the resources to help them manage that paycheck. 

SHRM states employees want programs to alleviate financial strain
80% of employees are concerned about inflation
71% of employees say the cost of living is outpacing growth in their pay
82% of employees say employers should play a role in supporting their financial wellness

Focus on the Employee Experience

Part of the role of an HR manager is to ensure a positive employee experience. HR managers need to be intuitive and address problems, create solutions, and recognize team member achievements. This is vital in creating the work environment people want. “What the whole world wants is a good job,” Gallup states. In order to create a “good job” for employees, employers must focus on the employee experience. 

McKinsey & Company says, “Companies know that a better employee experience means a better bottom line. Successful organizations work together with their people to create personalized, authentic, and motivating experiences that tap into purpose to strengthen individual, team, and company performance.” 

Furthermore, HR managers can improve the employee experience by building team morale and working toward positive mindsets. This not only impacts individual employees, but in turn impacts the company’s overall performance. McKinsey also states, “The HR team plays a crucial role in forming employee experience. Organizations in which HR facilitates a positive employee experience are 1.3 times more likely to report organizational outperformance.”

Conclusion 

There are many ways human resource managers can make a difference and impact every employee. By coaching employees to develop their strengths, HR managers help those employees become experts in their fields. In providing learning opportunities, wellness programs, and a positive employee experience, they bolster the personal development and achievements of every worker. In the end, these efforts lead to happier employees and more successful organizations.

Find out how 101 Financial’s Workplace Wellness program provides learning opportunities for employees and can contribute to a positive employee experience.