Ensuring employees have a trusted place to ask questions and raise concerns is vital to any company that’s committed to building a healthy and inclusive culture. This role is typically filled by human resources or people operations.
But what if you’re a startup that doesn’t have dedicated HR, or a business too small to have HR on your team? The solution may well be outsourced HR. Can an outside consultant really act effectively as an employee advocate? The answer is yes, provided you take the right steps to set them up for success.
Help Build Relationships
You may not realize that even inside of large corporations, HR professionals have to explain what they do and proactively find ways to get to know employees. When I worked at Microsoft and Amazon, we found ways to meet employees by giving presentations, facilitating training, and leading focus groups. When I was head of HR at two different startups, I presented at company-wide meetings about what HR did and how to contact us.
If all you do is share the name and email of the person who employees should contact if they have a concern, it’s very unlikely they’ll reach out about anything sensitive. Would you? Make it a point to help your team get to know HR. Invite your HR partner to team lunches, happy hours, and staff or company meetings. Give them a chance to introduce themself. The more familiar people are with HR, the better the chance that they’ll reach out to them when they need something.
Host HR Brown Bags
An easy, informal way for your new HR person to meet employees is by hosting a series of brown bags. It could be about the role of HR, or it could be on a specific topic – employee benefits, how to grow your career, etc.
The important thing is to create access opportunities for your team to meet the HR person in a safe setting where the stakes are low. These interactions build trust and keep HR top of mind. It’s only natural that when someone does have a concern, they’ll turn to HR once they’ve become a trusted source and they can put a face to the name.
Still virtual? Same here. Consider organizing virtual brown bags. If you have the resources, we’d recommend sharing Grubhub gift cards with anyone that can join to increase attendance. Who doesn’t love free food?
Be Clear About Confidentiality
There are a couple of known reasons why employees resist talking to HR. One is a lack of trust. The other is more nuanced. An employee may want to ask a question but they fear it will get blown out of proportion. Sometimes they want to talk through a situation but they don’t want it escalated or investigated.
If you understand the responsibility HR professionals have, you’ll recognize that they can not always guarantee they will keep a secret. Often, HR can act as a sounding board. But when an employee reveals something that is illegal, violates company policy, or raises safety concerns, HR is obligated to act. This should be communicated clearly so that employees understand. If you do want to guarantee confidentiality, you’ll need to establish HR as an employee ombuds.
Overall, HR whether internal or external can absolutely be a safe place for employees to ask questions, get advice, and raise concerns. If you’re introducing a new HR consultant to your team for the first time, clearly explain their roles and responsibilities. Whether your consultant is new or has already been working with you, take the time to help them connect with employees and build relationships.
If you want to learn more about outsourced HR or find an employee ombuds, contact us by emailing info@reverbpeople.com or by heading to https://reverbpeople.com/.
