Hi all,
As a HR team of one for a relatively small charity (up to 50 perm staff with workers) and in a leadership role, I am wondering how other lone snr HR managers balance operational duties with strategic goals.
What tools do you use for productivity and Wellbeing while ensuring that you still maintain complete oversight of everything from policies to maintaining relationships with employees and being visible?
I’m in a very similar one-person HR role, covering both operational and strategic work, and it can definitely impact productivity.
What helped for me was delegating some HR-assistant-type admin tasks to existing roles, based on grade/capability, interest in an HR pathway, and the confidentiality level of the work. For example, I allocated general HR administration to the front desk/admin role (especially where there was an interest in HR), and more confidential operational support to the Executive PA.
This did require some role-alignment so the tasks were formally captured in role expectations and appraisal documentation. The benefit is continuity, operational HR can still run if you take a week’s leave, rather than everything sitting with you.So this can work until the company allows room for more FTE numbers and you prepare a business case since you will have seen the need especially considering the addition of the other staff numbers because that means more work.
I’m in a very similar one-person HR role, covering both operational and strategic work, and it can definitely impact productivity.
What helped for me was delegating some HR-assistant-type admin tasks to existing roles, based on grade/capability, interest in an HR pathway, and the confidentiality level of the work. For example, I allocated general HR administration to the front desk/admin role (especially where there was an interest in HR), and more confidential operational support to the Executive PA.
This did require some role-alignment so the tasks were formally captured in role expectations and appraisal documentation. The benefit is continuity, operational HR can still run if you take a week’s leave, rather than everything sitting with you.So this can work until the company allows room for more FTE numbers and you prepare a business case since you will have seen the need especially considering the addition of the other staff numbers because that means more work.
