Starting a new venture is always exciting—you get to dip your toes into something fresh and decide what direction you’ll take to complete the endeavor. When starting your own business, however, multiple aspects must be considered—the culture, mission, values, employee size, procedures, management, etc.—and this is where business owners tend to overlook the importance of a human resources department. Small businesses are pressured to bring in sales in order to keep their doors open, but as more sales are made, workload increases and more employees are needed. This is where HR is crucial.
With the need for more employees comes the need for proper management training for supervisors. If there is little to no guidance on how to manage employees, the company may be more exposed to liability for illegal employment practices. There needs to be someone who is well versed in current employment laws—if your company continues to move forward and ignores the importance of being in compliance, you run a high risk of getting yourself into legal trouble. And as a small business, a single lawsuit may close your doors for good.
Furthermore, an HR department is needed for talent management purposes. If management only cares about the dollars coming in and disregards their employees’ needs and well-being, there is a great chance these vital employees may leave. Pressure from management to complete work as well as having a large workload may lead to employee burnout. Small businesses need to retain their talent and find ways to keep their employees present—incentives, rewards and recognition are some popular tactics. Management needs to show their employees that all their hard work is much appreciated, therefore a culture that values and balances both work and play may alleviate stress and simultaneously promote productivity and overall morale. All in all, small businesses cannot afford to have a high turnover rate because the longer a seat is vacant, the more money it costs the company…and the more burnt out employees may feel if the extra work load gets dispersed.
For small businesses who cannot afford an HR department, there are outsourcing options. e-VentExe has a special service called eBasicHR which serves as a full HR department. eBasicHR gives business owners access to documents and forms necessary for compliant purposes, as well as unlimited use of an expert HR consultant who will answer and advise any question or issues that may arise.
*e-VentExe is a full service human resource consulting firm specializing in compliance law, recruiting and selection, training and development, and assessment tools. If your company is interested in learning more about eBasicHR or any of the services listed above, please call e-VentExe at 916. 458-5820.
The Human Balance 