Not many of us get into the HR profession because we love writing job descriptions or managing employee files. However, a former supervisor of mine would often  encourage us to get those important baselines established so we could focus on the fun stuff. In order to be successful with strategic objectives that help our organizations become more profitable, make sure your HR foundation is solid.

Job Descriptions

Make sure accurate job descriptions are drafted for each position in your organization. Ask supervisors and individuals actually in the positions for their input and approval.  Make sure to include information that will keep you in compliance with the ADA.  Usually job descriptions or a job ad are the first things that applicants will see for your organization, and the tone of the description should match your organizational culture.

File Audit

Your employee files should be in order to protect your organization against potential lawsuits and penalties regarding violation of medical privacy, nondiscrimination, identity theft and other issues. The best way to ensure your files are maintained appropriately is to do an audit. Make sure your I-9’s are stored separately, that medical information is kept confidential, that all employee information is kept locked and secure, and that retention and destruction procedures are established and followed.

Salary survey

In order to attract and retain top talent for your organization, ensure your compensation structure is aligned with your industry compensation trends and adequately supports the cost of living in your area. Determine whether your organization should be leading, meeting or following the industry in terms of if salaries are above, match or below others in the industry. Discrepancies should be resolved and communicated with staff.

Once you’ve established a solid foundation, you can begin the fun part of offering strategic HR assistance to your organization. I’d recommend that your next step should be an evaluation of your orientation and onboarding processes. This is a way to ensure all new staff are given the correct information right off the bat so they can efficiently start to contribute to the success of your organization.