Congratulations! You are on your way to successfully launching your startup. During the business planning process, you will complete all the necessary steps to get the startup off the ground. Now it’s time to think about the business’s HR function and the employee lifecycle. This blog will help you understand the importance of Human Resources in your startup organization and specific areas that an HR expert can focus on.
The Role of HR in Your Startup
Human Resources plays an integral role in any organization, especially a startup. You are opening a business because you have passion, knowledge, and the skills needed to be successful. A Human Resources professional has similar passion and knowledge for what they do. HR’s role in your startup is to be a strategic partner as you scale and focus on the employee lifecycle and other people-facing areas that contribute to the start-up’s success.
Why HR is Critical to the Success of Your Startup
The one department critical to the success of your startup is your Human Resources department. If you aren’t in the financial position to hire a full-time HR resource, It will be important you partner with an HR Consultant to provide the necessary guidance to help you continue to get the business off the ground. In most startup cases, the HR function is not in the business owner’s wheelhouse, and that is okay. That is why you bring in an expert to work with you through your HR strategic plan and ensure the proper policies, practices, and tools are in place. This allows you to work on the other aspects of launching and growing your startup.
How an HR Consultant Can Help With Getting Your Startup Up and Running
When we talk about an employee lifecycle, as a business owner, do you truly understand what that means? If you don’t, that is okay! When we talk about the employee lifecycle, we are talking about everything the employee experiences from recruitment to their last day with the company. A skilled HR consulting partner works with you to develop the processes you need to ensure a positive employee experience. As a startup, the HR consultant focuses on building your human resources function. Below is a list of important areas that HR assists with to get your business up and running.
Core Value Creation
Why is creating core values so important? Core Values are the framework of an organization. They set the tone of who you are and how you accomplish your goals. HR takes the time to ask the appropriate questions to understand what values represent your startup and how those values influence your work with your employees and customers. Implementing the core values is one of the first steps to getting your startup off the ground. Core values have a direct correlation to how you build the different aspects of your HR function, some of which I discuss below.
Job Description Creation
As a startup, HR has the responsibility to ensure you hire the right employees for the right roles to perform the necessary job duties, especially in the start-up phase. The first step is to understand specifically what each role is responsible for and what qualifications are needed to perform the job. The second step is to create a detailed and accurate job description that indicates the responsibilities and qualifications for this position. The job description provides information about who you are and what you do as a company. This is where you integrate core values into your employee lifecycle processes – at the start of the employee journey.
Recruitment and Onboarding
Now that there are job descriptions, it is time for HR to recruit for those open roles. The HR expert posts the open roles on recruitment platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and/or Ziprecruiter. As applications come in, the Human Resources consultant reviews the resumes and schedules qualified candidates for an initial interview. Red Clover consultants optimize the hiring process and go beyond just the candidate’s qualifications. We conduct our screenings using behavioral interviewing to understand the candidate’s experience through real-life examples. With this method, we are able to link a candidate’s core competencies to the core values of the organization. This allows both the HR consultant and the hiring manager to determine if the candidate aligns well with the company’s values during the interview process. By taking this approach, we streamline the recruitment process and allow a positive candidate experience.
Once the team has chosen a candidate of choice, HR conducts the onboarding process. This includes everything from creating the first-week schedule with the hiring manager, completing the necessary HR paperwork, to ensuring all of the IT access and equipment is ready for a hassle-free transition for the new employee.
Employee Handbook Creation
The company is growing and everything seems to be in place, but there is one very important thing missing – the employee handbook! The employee handbook is important because this document outlines the necessary policies and procedures for all employees to follow. It includes policies covering topics such as harassment, vacation/PTO, and attendance, as well as including specific regulations at the state level. A thorough, well-written handbook provides the same knowledge of the policies and procedures to the entire organization.
Not Sure Where to Find a Reliable HR Consultant for Your Startup?
You have come to the right place! The team at Red Clover specializes in supporting startup organizations in their HR functions. We bring our vast knowledge and experience to your team and partner together to help make your vision a reality. If you are interested in learning more about our services and what we do, please contact us and a member of our team will be happy to assist!
