Toward a future-oriented, people-based HR policy: from audit to action plan

An HR policy revolving around workable work and the desire to improve employee well-being has proved effective in the past, and continues to reap rewards today. Employees are what make or break an organisation. A future-oriented, people-based HR policy allows personal and corporate growth to go hand in hand, even in uncertain times.

Furthermore, HR policy directly affects the retention policy (to keep existing employees) and employer branding (to attract promising new candidates). That means that now more than ever, it is good to make time for a careful review and to take action as necessary.

Possible supporting actions can be classed according to four aspects of workable work. We list these four aspects below, along with a few sample questions.

Four aspects of workable work

Good organisation:

• Have you made optimal provisions to ensure a safe return to the workplace?
• How is your capacity? Have these times led to excess or understaffing and how are you dealing with that?
• How can you ‘future-proof’ your work organisation?
• How are duties and roles distributed within your organisation and teams?
• What drives your employees? How can you play to people’s strengths to increase the energy they get from their jobs?

Learning in order to grow:

• How are you investing in employee training in the current circumstances?
• What are their current training needs and how are you addressing these creatively?
• How does your organisation handle knowledge sharing?

Enjoyment of work:

• How do you consider your employees’ mental well-being?
• What is your policy on well-being?
• How do you ensure the intrinsic motivation of your employees?
• How are you dealing with the current ‘work-life integration’ as an employer?

Quality leadership:

• What does effective leadership entail in your organisation?
• Do your managers have the necessary capabilities to help your organisation advance?
• In what ways do you promote people-based leadership?

From audit to action plan

There is a good chance that you know change is needed. Where to start, though? And how to steer your HR policy in the right direction? We meet personally with your manager or a core team of key figures to examine the current situation during an audit interview. Based on your greatest organisational challenges, we identify possible weaknesses and threats, but also important strengths and opportunities. Finally, we translate these various angles into a targeted action plan to serve as a guideline in preparing your organisation to face the future.