Human Resources Management Solutions in SMEs

Maintaining Human Resources management may not be considered in the budget planning of an SME. Many people today think of starting a business and in doing so are excited about various plans and expectations. Since we live in a time when entrepreneurship is increasingly encouraged and more people are migrating from the status of employee to that of entrepreneur. It does not matter if it is by his own decision, if he is pushed into it by the economic situation, if it is because he is a young millennial with a clear and defined purpose of contribution to society or if it is an alternative to the trend known as precariousness from work. The fact is that the intention of becoming a SME entrepreneur is a trend that has been installed in society and it is necessary to have Human Resources management.

However, there are still many challenges to undertake in Argentina. They range from facing the initial phase of a formal venture, which by itself surely already generates a real upheaval in the life of any entrepreneur, to the greatest of all challenges: keeping the company competitive in the market while guaranteeing the satisfaction of its clients and sustainable business results.

It is important to have a good physical structure, sufficient financial resources to keep the operation rolling, technology with systems and controls that facilitate the day-to-day of the company. All that, without any doubt, is on your radar on a daily basis. However, nothing replaces the strategic role of people to make the mission of a company a reality and achieve success.

For this reason, seeking excellence in Human Resources management Solutions is so important in SMEs (whatever the business field) since they often end up having to compete with large companies with a significantly smaller budget than them.

However, attracting, selecting, maintaining, developing and generating the commitment of talents in an organization is not an easy task. It is necessary to have some specific knowledge beyond those related to the technology and operation of the company's business, since Human Resources management is usually at the forefront of these activities.

There are alternatives that an SME can adopt that range from being interested in and knowing the practices of already consolidated companies (adapting them to their own organizational reality) to hiring the services of a Human Resources management, where a trained professional can support with ideas and work in the design, development and operation of some processes and activities of a Human Resources management for your SME.

For this, it is important to have knowledge of some basic actions to be able to adopt and discuss Human Resources management. You always have to inform yourself, regardless of whether someone more qualified is the one who finishes the task; you always have to know what you are talking about.

Defined roles and functions

It is a fact that “doing everything” can be valued in an SME but there is also the risk of doing with less quality and less focus.

To increase the team's commitment to results, it is important that each one knows their role and the objectives of the functions they perform, it is essential in Human Resources management. In addition, having this survey well done and accessible to all, it is easier to select new professionals and even size the necessary equipment in each sector / activity of the company.

Hire with a conscience

Sometimes we meet people we know, friends or a relative looking for work, but you have to know that this is not a sufficient condition to hire a professional.

When hiring, it is necessary to make sure that the hired professional has the knowledge and skills profile compatible with the position and that, in addition, they have values ​​aligned with the values ​​and beliefs of your organization. Not doing it, no matter how complicated it may seem, can lead to problems of personal commitment, group environment and, ultimately, productivity. Remember the saying that in an SME “we are few and we know each other a lot”.

If there are conditions for this, it is necessary to have someone acting in the Human Resources management team to evaluate the candidates. In the end, it can be very good to hire professionals who have affinities with those who are already in the company. It is also important to train the managers of a company in how to interview and evaluate a candidate.

Promote integration

Many people believe that promoting the integration of the newcomer is only related to knowing "the rules in here", with pleasant events where "we are going to get to know each other better without talking about work" or making him know "who is who in the company ”.

Integrating the newcomer into the team strategically is much more than promoting mutual knowledge. You must ensure knowledge about the business, the alignment of the new employee with the culture of the company and the "way we do things around here" when making decisions or resolving dilemmas.

The first day of any new employee in a company is the moment of the first experience of this as part of that work community, of the first image that it will form of your organization ... and we all know well the work that changes take! a first image!

It is essential to continue clarifying any doubts that still exist or to explain what the company expects of him, whatever the position or function that this new collaborator will occupy. This is an essential activity in the Human Resources management process and, therefore, must be planned in advance. Not doing it can make it very difficult to attract and retain your talents.

 

Know The Team's Competence

Competencies are measured by the ability of the professional to combine their knowledge, skills and attitudes to produce a result, whatever its type, with their performance.

In this way, for a company to be successful through people, it is necessary to identify their competencies and how each one can contribute to the objectives of the organization both today and in the future when the company grows. Having a managerial opinion formed about present competencies (performance) and future capacity to develop them (potential) can be your main managerial contribution to your own venture.

Lastly, don't keep that managerial opinion to yourself or to say it in the "bad times." On the contrary, it is good to talk frequently and explicitly with employees about their performance and their potential individually, and offer meaningful dialogues on an issue that interests them very much: their current situation and their future in the Company.

Promote team training and development

It is sometimes thought that training and developing a team necessarily involves high costs. Beyond reflecting on the cost of not training and / or developing it, that thought does not necessarily have to be true.

Many times, it is possible to carry out these actions internally, with Human Resources Management Solutions taking advantage of their own experience or the capabilities of the personnel who are already part of the company; although this does not exclude the importance of external training, including free or subsidized ones offered by official or private support institutions for SMEs.

Encourage open communication

In a company where open communication is present, people feel safe to give and receive feedback, offer suggestions for improvement in the processes or, in one way or another, actively contribute to the growth of the company.

This, of course, includes special attention to the professionals of a company who perform a function (no matter the name of the position) that includes managerial responsibility for the performance of individual collaborators.

Feeling part of the organization and living with the feeling of being heard is the best individual engagement and talent retention tool a manager has at hand.

Offer attractive benefits and environment

An SME will hardly be able to pay the best wages in the market. Even if it could, that is the most expensive and least effective solution. Whoever comes or stays only for salary, easily leaves, too, only for salary.

It is possible to compensate for salary differences (in relation to the market or to the function), offering benefits and working conditions that do not always imply large costs for the company, such as, for example, flexible hours, training opportunities, days for study-related activities , participation in the appropriate decision-making process, agreements, productivity awards, recognition actions, personal gratitude when deserved, etc.

It is suggested to do an internal study on what the collaborators understand that can be a valuable benefit for them. So you can make more and more accurate decisions. Last but not least, you have to think of the benefits as an investment in the organizational environment and not as a simple economic cost.

Hold the necessary meetings and do it effectively and previously planned

In general, when the team is small, there is a feeling that everyone “is seeing what is happening” and that “the needs for change are obvious”. This is not always true.

Meetings to communicate results, align expectations or define strategies, or "simply" to listen to employees, are essential for the proper development of business and to generate an atmosphere of commitment in the team.

Thus, it is important to hold the meetings by establishing and following an agenda, as well as informing the participants in advance so that they can bring their contributions prepared. This is the only way to expect and request an effective participation from those present. Keep the issues within the schedule so that the meeting has focus and pays attention to not falling into the trap of "taking advantage of the fact that we are together, we will also try to ...." since matters, in general, are more than the available time of those present, there including one's own.

If the company culture has (or wants to have) aspects such as agility, productivity, or respect for others, meeting and enforcing meeting start and end times is one of the easiest, most visible and powerful ways to give it. life to culture.

Keep in mind and visible the work environment of an SME

Through a Work Climate Survey, the SME can be seen through the eyes of the employees and identify opportunities for improvement that will make all the difference in attracting and retaining talent. As it is a process that demands impartiality, it is advisable to have the support of an external Human Resources management professional, both in its operationalization and in the interpretation of the results.

Now, it can be thought that this matter is superfluous for an SME. However, it is important to know that more and more banks are requesting and using data from the Labor Climate Surveys as one of the components to establish the financial cost of short-term loans (working capital), under the premise that the work environment influences the repayment capacity of companies. In other words, if it is not for "the environment" worry and monitor the Labor Climate of your company by the bank spread.

Prepare leaders (formal and informal)

Leaders well prepared and aligned with the mission of the company are essential for the development of a business. Identifying leaders, investing in training them and offering some level of autonomy to decide on their areas or processes is essential. Thus, partners will be obtained in the journey of growth towards success.

Be the example of everything you say ... or admit that you are not, but you are trying

Every team is a reflection of its leader and never forget that in your company that is you. So be an example. It is useless, simply allowing or letting "good things for people" happen by someone else. Participate, get involved, commit, act publicly in a coherent way between your speech and your daily practices, being the first to adhere to the Human Resources management actions in your company are behaviors that will make you become a reference for your team.

To achieve the long-awaited success, it is valuable to constantly and disciplined practice the previous actions and know how to manage Human Resources management in an SME.