Meredith J. Guyot was on the road attending a business meeting 30 years ago when she had a profound experience at the hotel bar. She was given a coaster that she still owns to this day with the following quote scrawled across it.
“People may doubt what you say, but they always believe what you do,” reads the quote most commonly attributed to Lewis Cass, an American military officer, politician and statesman in the early 1800s.
The coaster sits next to Guyot’s phone and she looks it on a daily basis.
“That is my brand,” says Guyot, director of human resources and operations at Nesco Resource. “All of us as individuals should have a brand. What do you stand for? It doesn’t have to be a mission statement. It doesn’t have to be a vision. It’s a way to let people know who you are, what you believe and how you approach your life and your work.”
HR departments play a key role in helping businesses build and maintain a strong culture. When employees believe that their company will treat them fairly, it produces loyalty and trust that should lead to happier employees and increased productivity.
Smart Business spoke with Guyot about how to build trust between management and employees in your company.
What are some common attributes to a strong HR department?
Consistency is a good place to start. When employees understand your rationale for making decisions, it eliminates a lot of stress. If you have to make a decision that veers from your typical approach to such matters, the key is to be able to provide a rationale that explains the decision. You don’t want to leave people guessing why you decided to do this or that as it creates unease and can easily distract employees from their work.
Along these lines, transparency is another fundamental trait of companies with a strong culture and an effective HR team. Engage your team in conversation and when possible, incorporate their feedback into your decision-making process. If you have a company meeting coming up, reach out to employees and ask them what they would like the meeting to cover. What do your employees want to learn? What could you help them with that would make it easier for them to do their jobs? When people trust you have their best interests at heart, they will feel empowered and engaged.
What can leaders do who are uncomfortable engaging in casual conversations?
If you aren’t good at small talk and conversing with your employees about things outside of their work, it’s best to find someone who does have that skill to handle that role. On the surface, it may not seem that important to be able to talk to your team about what’s going on in their lives. But it can be of great benefit when an unexpected situation develops.
At our company, we had a young woman whose spouse passed away rather unexpectedly. The couple had small children and he was the benefit carrier for his family, so she was going to have to pick up our benefits. The CEO wouldn’t know that. But as the head of HR, I brought it to his attention and the company did something to ease the burden for her. We did it because it was the right thing to do. It’s not going to make or break the company, but it sends a message about how we do things. Companies are not made up of ‘people,’ they are made up of individuals. These individuals are your customers, so be very aware of their needs.
What other tips can help a company build rapport with its employees?
Talk to each other. Sounds easy. Should someone send you an email that is very in-depth, pick up the phone. Discuss the issue together and ask for their thoughts. Often they have the right solution, but only want it to be verified. By providing this support, you also deliver empowerment. Now send the email, thank them for the discussion and reiterate that their decision was the right one. As our role is strongly that of adviser, adding the word ‘trusted’ as an adjective is what separates the HR role from one who, as an example, manages a benefit platform, to one who builds a platform that best supports the individuals’ needs and company’s vision. Know your HR product. Keep abreast of developing laws and regulations. Most importantly, keep the lines of communication open to all levels of your organization.
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