How to Effectively Work with HR: Involve HR Early

The Importance of Early HR Involvement

• 💡 HR's role is crucial, especially when "stuff hits the fan," and they act to protect the company.
• ⚠️ Managers often put HR in a difficult position by not doing their part, leading HR to be dogmatic to solve problems.
• 🤝 HR needs the right inputs from managers to produce great outputs, similar to how IT needs user requirements.

HR as a Partner, Not Just an Enforcer

• 🩺 Managers should view HR as a partner or service organization, not just rule enforcers, to avoid fear of getting in trouble.
• 🏥 Delaying involvement with HR is like delaying a doctor's visit; the problem becomes more severe and harder to fix.
• 🚀 Involving HR early, even without a pre-existing relationship, is better than waiting until a problem escalates.

The "Danny" Story: Proactive Documentation and HR Engagement

• 📝 Danny proactively informed HR about an underperforming employee, documenting her efforts.
• ⏱️ When the situation worsened, HR could act quickly because they had prior knowledge and documentation.
• ✅ This proactive approach, combined with management practices like one-on-ones and feedback (the "Trinity"), strengthens outcomes and provides HR with necessary background.

Building Relationships for Smoother Processes

• 📞 A strong relationship with HR makes accessing resources easier, often resulting in direct help rather than just links to web pages.
• ⏳ Time is critical; involving HR early provides them with the necessary time to navigate company systems and approvals.
• 🚫 Last-minute requests often lead to HR saying "no" because there's insufficient time for them to get necessary approvals or leverage their discretion.

Navigating Company Policies and Training Requests

• 🎓 When requesting expensive training, involving HR early, even if it's not on the approved roster, can lead to solutions.
• 🗺️ A relationship allows HR to guide you through extra approval steps or advocate on your behalf.
• ❓ Without a relationship, last-minute requests with booked flights are likely to be denied due to lack of time and HR's limited discretion.

HR's Role in Company Protection and Support

• 🛡️ HR's primary role is to protect the company, which includes managing salary bands to ensure competitive positioning and prevent legal issues.
• 📈 Managers must understand that HR has legitimate reasons for saying "no" to requests like pay raises or firings if proper preparatory work hasn't been done.
• 🤝 Proactively engaging HR, even with difficult situations like underperformers, allows them to be invested and provide better support.

The Power of "Warning Orders" and Proactive Communication

• 📢 Similar to military "warning orders," giving HR advance notice of potential issues allows for preparation.
• 🧩 This early communication smooths the process, prevents HR from claiming they weren't involved, and can lead to better outcomes.
• 🌟 Managers who involve HR early are often recognized internally and can gain exposure to senior leadership and influence organizational processes.