Often employees are promoted through the ranks due to their “on the job” knowledge, skills and experience with a Company.
Promotion opportunities within a business provides a career path and is a great way to retain valuable team members and company knowledge and prepares the employees to become People Managers.
Of course, there are Human Resources (HR) specialists available to help with more complex matters, but for a People Manager to be effective in their role and best serve the company whilst supporting and guiding employees, these are the 4 key elements for success:
- A general understanding of the rights and responsibilities of all employees
Since many problems in the workplace occur when there is a lack of awareness about workplace entitlements, a People Manager needs to be aware of the employment conditions of each of their team members. This could include variations such as full time, part time, maximum term and casual employees.
They should know which Award or Agreement they are covered by and understand the National Employment Standards (NES), which set out the minimum entitlements/working conditions for all employees.
- Awareness of the legal implications of their actions (or inactions)
Employers have a legal obligation under State and some Commonwealth laws to control inappropriate behaviour. People Managers have a role to ensure the correct policies and procedures are in place to prevent, identify and address inappropriate behaviour. This includes systems being in place to prevent and reduce the risk of bullying and harassment in the workplace.
- The ability to address queries, have critical/difficult conversations and the ability to manage employee behavior when necessary
Critical conversations can be difficult for both employees and their People Managers. As a People Manager, effectively listening and encouraging a collaborative approach to reaching solutions is important to empower both you and your employees when navigating these discussions.
- General leadership skills – clear communication, patience and trust
Clear Communication
Leaders who communicate information concisely and efficiently are valuable in any work environment. Clear communication allows leaders to share ideas with team members and provide detailed instructions for success. An equally important element of good communication is a leader’s ability to listen.
Patience
When you’re listing the traits of great People Leaders, patience probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But leading effectively (especially during a crisis) takes patience. Engage patiently and you will see increases in your team members creativity, productivity, and collaboration.
Trust
All relationships need trust to be strong and effective – including in the workplace. Trustworthiness is acquired over time and can only be proven by action and consistency.
A number of leadership resources are available to you from our resource library. For support in training and developing your people leaders, please contact us at [email protected] or 1300 720 004.
Information in HR Advice Online guides and blog posts is meant purely for educational discussion of human resources issues. It contains only general information about human resources matters and due to factors, such as government legislation changes, may not be up to date at the time of reading. It is not legal advice and should not be treated as such.
