Guide to HR success in the new year – Part 2

For businesses, the beginning of a new year is a great time to reset and consider how you can thrive in the year ahead. With rates of unemployment remaining very low and hiring becoming even harder, supporting your people and driving their performance is even more crucial.

Our HR experts have been busy working with clients as they prepare for the new year. In our second in a two-part focus on what to think about as you plan for success, we take a look at what’s been on top of the priorities list.

Keeping your house in order

Many businesses would have been busy updating employee contracts and engaging with staff to account for the recent changes brought in under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022, as well as award rates and superannuation contributions that came in earlier in the year. You can refer to our article covering all these important changes, if you haven't.

Staying on top of broader changes and obligations is equally important, making now a good time to do an overall compliance review. It is essential to ensure you understand your responsibilities regarding the Fair Work Act and award coverage and the implications for your business.

As is ensuring that your documentation reflects any changes in your business. We’ve been helping customers review their policies and procedures so they remain in step with business priorities and the changing marketplace, so they’re confident that it’s all up to date.

Time to think about people performance

With the right foundation in place and admin sorted, moving to goal setting and performance support for your team is another vital step. Having clear objectives and plans to measure and develop people’s skills helps the business and the team get the most out of the experience.

If you’re having conversations with staff about performance for the first time, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Every review process is different, and aligning the approach to what you are trying to achieve as a business makes the effort worthwhile.
• Set clear goals that staff understand and don’t over-complicate it. Communicate when the review will take place, so everyone knows the timelines.
• Remember to make sure that performance is a 2-way street. Think about how you can support staff in their careers and skills development in return for their contribution.
• It’s worth taking quick, accurate notes as you go to confidently refer to them when performance review time comes around. 

Learn more about managing employee performance.

Getting set to follow through

With so many competing business priorities, keeping on top of your people management can be difficult. But having processes to keep everything on track makes things easy.

Whether you need to conduct regular training, stay on top of converting casual contracts, need to remember an upcoming pay review, or just staff check-ins, it’s all about the setup. 

Having reminders that notify you of upcoming events can help you follow through with obligations and signal to staff that you’re proactive around issues that matter to them.

These are just some of the many people-related issues MyHR supports customers with daily. Between our platform and HR experts, we have you covered, whether it's making admin hassle-free, delivering impactful performance reviews or sending reminders, so nothing slips through the cracks.