What is a People Strategy?

A people strategy is a business plan to attract, train, engage, grow, compensate and retain its workforce. This type of HR plan will vary depending on the size of the business, the culture and the business goals. However, the objective should be the same. To set out the approach for a business’s relationship with its staff across all stages of the employee life-cycle. Having the right talent on board can have a huge impact on your business’s success.

It is mainly around talent management – investing in employees, building a positive environment for all staff and helping them develop professionally and personally. One of the challenging aspects can be supporting staff now whilst also staying focused on the types of skills, capabilities and behaviours that the company may potentially need in the future. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the needs of the business and the goals for the year ahead. Having a people strategy in place helps businesses and employees stay aligned.

Here are some examples of what can be included:

Creating opportunities for employee growth and development plans

Investing in employee development plans is an important part to any business. A good plan will roadmap an employee’s desired career goals, and details an actionable record of steps on how to get there.

Development plans will differ between employees, as each plan is personalised to the individual employee. Line managers, in collaboration with the employee will have discussed, agreed and documented the plan which should be regularly reviewed and altered if needed. It is a way to upgrade an employee’s existing knowledge and improve their skills for their current job whilst also preparing them for any new roles or challenges they wish to take on in the future. A good employee development plan has been proven to lead to greater workforce productivity and effectiveness. We encourage you to include this in your people strategy.

Wellbeing initiatives

Investing in ways to make your company a healthier and happier place to work is hugely beneficial to the employee and the business. It can enhance team morale, reduce sickness absence, improve communication, increase productivity and much more.

Having wellness initiatives as part of your HR plan will support your employees to have a positive experience at work. When employees feel their best, they do their best work. Read our earlier blog for some examples on Staff Wellbeing Strategies.

Diversity and Inclusion

Employees will do their best at work when they feel supported and included. Therefore, promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace is a key part of a successful people strategy. Regardless of employees age, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation etc, every employee deserves the opportunity to be fairly recruited, rewarded and developed.

Having a business plan which includes fair policies and practices for everyone will contribute to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels able to achieve their potential and work effectively as part of a team. It is vital that every employee feels appreciated for their contribution to the business. Here at The HR Booth we do regular ‘shout out’s’ – this is a way for our team to thank other team members for their help and support on a particular subject.

Employee surveys

It’s important that you include an employee engagement survey as part of your people strategy. Asking your employees to complete a confidential survey is a great way to gauge employee satisfaction. The survey not only gives you valuable insight from your employees but it can help towards increased employee engagement, a positive working environment and many more. More importantly, it can highlight any obstacles and concerns which you can address. When employees feel that their opinions have been heard and valued, it creates a positive culture of trust and accountability. Here at The HR Booth we have all recently completed an employee engagement survey using Google Forms.

Planning Team Events

Team building is key for employee engagement and for a healthy organisation. Investing in regular out-of-work social events is a way of bringing the team together and collaborating. Socialising as a team is one of the driving forces for people to stay engaged. When employees communicate and collaborate, it improves their performance, helps resolve conflicts, and gains respect for each other. Here at The HR Booth we are looking forward to our next social event which is an Escape Room – let’s hope we all escape! There is a popular saying regarding team social events “A team that plays together stays together”

Whatever your HR plan includes, remember to ensure that it is one that makes your team feel supported, valued and appreciated.