The Chrysalis HR Philosophy
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Human Resources 101
Let’s start with the basics.
You’re looking to improve your hiring process, your pay structure, your work environment. So where do you start? The following framework provides the basic steps for knowing who you need, where to find them, and how to keep them — whatever stage of growth your business is in.
Your employees are essential to achieving your mission.
You want to create a workplace where they can thrive, contribute, and find joy in their work. When your team feels valued and respected, their success makes a difference for the people you serve. That’s when you have a great team — and you deserve to have a great team.
1
Envision
Begin by thinking about what you need to accomplish and what success looks like. Picture it clearly — all of it. Everything you do throughout this process will align with your desired end result. Capture all your thoughts so you can assess and prioritize them.
Consider if the person doing this work should be an employee or an independent contractor. The IRS treats these two categories differently and you’ll manage them in different ways. This framework assumes that you’re hiring an employee.
2
Prioritize
Now, think about what’s most important. Why does this job exist? How does it enable your organization to move forward? When you clearly understand this, you’ll be able to convey this message to applicants and employees.
You can’t do and be everything, so focus on what will move you forward now. Keep those other thoughts in a parking lot to be considered at a later time.
3
Differentiate
As you identify the “competencies” — the skills, abilities, experience, and education - needed for the job, consider what’s absolute and what’s teachable. What are the alternatives that could bring you someone who could thrive in this job?
4
Describe Repsonsibilities & Expectations
Your next step is to develop the role description. This is an internal document that will be abbreviated into the job posting, which in turn will be condensed into your job ad.
In addition to recruitment, the role description will be used for onboarding, developing, and coaching your employees once they join your team. Each of these steps will be aligned with your vision of what will allow your employees to be successful in their roles.
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Based on the duties of the job, the level of work performed, and the education required, the job will be classified as salaried or hourly. The Fair Labor Standards Act is the federal law that governs these determinations; it is very specific and nuanced. Incorrectly classifying a job as salaried (i.e., exempt from overtime requirements) can be costly. Since the FLSA applies to nearly all organizations, it’s important to understand how to comply with its requirements.
5
Establish Pay & Benefits
Your total compensation needs to be fair and competitive. When possible, have data on what comparable employers pay their employees. Then think about where you want your salaries to be in the market – in the middle? Stronger than that? This is part of your organizational compensation philosophy. This philosophy will guide your goals for providing market competitive salaries and benefits.
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Once you have a strong understanding of what you need, think about what it would take to attract and retain someone with these skills. Federal laws mandate certain benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, FICA, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and time-off for civic duties. Depending on the size of your organization, other federal and state laws require you to provide benefits to protect your employees’ health, income, and well-being. While additional benefits may not be required — such as paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, and retirement benefits — they could make you more competitive when you’re recruiting. You may decide not to offer benefits and then provide additional income to offset that.
You should also think about salary increases or bonuses — what they’ll be based on, how frequently you’ll provide them, and how you’ll determine an appropriate amount.
6
Recruit
In a tight labor market, you’ll be more effective when you’re recruiting by describing why the job exists and how it will make a difference. Applicants are looking for jobs that are meaningful and have an impact.
If you’re committed to bringing in a diversity of lived experiences, then you’ll need to actively recruit and advertise in different places.
Write a competitive ad and run it using a variety of sources so you can receive quality responses from people who have the competencies you need. Successful recruitment brings you a diverse applicant pool that strengthens your ability to find someone who has all the qualifications you desire. Think about where these people are and how to connect with them. Again — be open and consider that many paths to success are possible.
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Screening and interviewing are essential steps in the process and should align with the job duties and expectations you’ve identified. This helps you stay on track and avoid becoming star-struck by someone who has amazing credentials but isn’t right for the job. Focus on differentiation and remain aligned with the purpose of the job and your vision of success.
Finally, extending the offer and negotiating salary and benefits will be guided by the decisions you’ve already made. This also keeps you on target, providing reasonable boundaries and expectations.
7
Onboard
This is the employee’s ongoing orientation to their position and your organization. It includes welcoming them, providing necessary equipment and resources to do their job, and being clear about your expectations. Recognize that onboarding begins before your new team member’s first day. Be intentional about how you welcome them and who’s involved in that process.
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Think about how you want them to feel at the end of their first day – are they eager to return the next day? Do they feel a sense of belonging and that they can bring their authentic self to work?
How will you train and assess them? Describe a clear picture of your expectations? What does success look like at the end of 3 months? 6 months? A year? This should align with what you envisioned at the beginning of this process.
Check in with them monthly with a brief conversation about what’s going well, what could be better, and ideas that they have. These short conversations provide clarity for the employee and give you insights into their strengths and potential.
Think about not only what you will expect of them, but also what they can expect of you. What type of manager will you be?
8
Manage & Communicate
An important part of your job is working with and through people. This includes developing, coaching, guiding, and mentoring.
When you create a feedback-rich workplace, you can communicate openly and with respect, allowing you to give guidance and encouragement, and keep things on track. In this type of environment, feedback moves in all directions within the organization and is received in a spirt of learning and growth. Learning takes effort; creating an environment that encourages ongoing development is key to success.
9
Evaluate
Each of us always has room for growth. Evaluations are one way to nurture growth and development with each of your team members.
Everyone has potential; sometimes they don’t even see it themselves. By tapping into their passions and giving them opportunities to thrive, that potential is released.
A performance evaluation is a discussion – not a form. These discussions provide structured time to assess how an employee is doing and consider ways to accelerate their performance and contributions. This discussion is most effective when your team member reflects on their performance and shares that openly with you.
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An effective evaluation discussion focuses about 25% of the time on the past evaluation period (e.g., quarter, year) then briefly discusses current priorities for about 15% of the time. The remaining 60% is future focused on upcoming or ongoing goals and priorities, opportunities for learning and growth, and career development.
After this discussion, you can prepare the written evaluation and then share it with the employee.
As you focus on performance expectations, be clear about how you are determining when those expectations are and aren’t being met. Envision and describe successful behavior so your employees understand clearly what they should do and how. They should expect feedback about what’s going well and what needs further attention, and some next steps, along with opportunities to express their ideas, perceptions, and feedback about you.
10
Reward
Employee recognition occurs when you provide feedback on an employee’s results or performance. Recognition is most effective when it occurs throughout the year as achievements occur. Employee appreciation acknowledges who someone is and what they’re contributing to the team. This can include regularly checking in with employees to see how they’re doing and asking what they need from you to be successful.
11
Inspire
Think about the best boss you ever had. What sets that person apart?
The characteristics that come to mind likely include integrity and trust. It’s someone who respects and values others, and advocates for equity and being inclusive. They communicate clearly and listen. They’re sincerely passionate about the mission and can clearly describe the vision. They truly care about people enough to know who they are and where their talents lie.
You can inspire excellence in others through your actions and by being true to yourself.
Inspired to transform your business?
Schedule a free consultation with Chrysalis HR today to discover how an HR transformation can help your business and your team thrive.