Starting a business for the first time is exciting and scary all at once. To help you assess properly the human resource requirement, we’ve written and compiled a checklist of key steps!
Well Managed Human Resources, Key to Your Business Success?
Your employees are one of the most important resources for your company.
It is true for SMEs as well any major international company. Managing your Human Resources properly will help drive the right behavior and develop a deeper commitment to the company and its long term goals.
Moreover, as an entrepreneur/business owner it is your responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace, to comply with the relevant Lao employment laws, to keep good records, and of course to pay salaries and benefits promptly and effectively.
Management Basics of Your Company's Human Ressources
When you are starting a business, there is a lot to consider: sales, marketing, finance, etc., not to mention the need to build a sustainable and profitable company.
Here are 4 must-have that every employer should start focusing on:
Employees' Safety & Well-Being
The first and most important responsibility of a small business owner is to keep its employees safe. To do so, you will have to go through some basic principles of safety.
Assess the risks: Some workplaces are obviously more dangerous than others. The risks can range from a high turnover that impacts business operations to the theft of the company’s resources.
Internal control: Build a proper plan for the maintenance of your office/work premice and of any equipment that employee use, create an emergency plan, and conduct frequent drills, etc.
Show your commitment: Showing your commitment to employee safety is important as it shows you value them and their well-being. It is also a sign that may improve their general happiness and thus job performance.
Know Your Legal Environment
It is important for small businesses to understande the various laws governing commerce in their local. So, you need to make sure you are complying with all the regular requirements. Be sure to check the situation of your business, and get individual legal advice if possible:
Workers’ rights: It encompasses a large array of human rights from the right to decent work and freedom of association to equal opportunity and protection against discrimination from employment.
Workplace safety: A safe and healthy workplace does not only protect your employees from injury and illness, but it make also your employee feel loyal to the organization, has more satisfied, be productive workers who produce higher quality products and services.
Equal opportunity law: The law was designed to promote employees for an appropriate higher level, subject to no considerations other than those of seniority and competence.
Provide Pay & Benefit
It is one of the necessary steps for human resource requirement for small business to consider.
Pay your employee on time, and provide documents such as salary slips in a timely manner (ex: pay the salaries at the same date every month, etc.)
Provide relevant benefit(s) to ensure your employees’ loyalty and satisfaction (ex: your business specialize in sales, so you could provide i cash incentives to drive performance, etc.)
Respect the agreement(s) made between the company and your employee as it could endanger your business legal situation
Keep Good Records
The administration is not the most exciting part of managing a business, but it is necessary. There are three main employee files that must be created and maintained on an ongoing basis:
General employee file: A group of documents that contains all relevant information about an employee’s time in your business, from their job application to their resignation letter
Employee medical file: all employee information related to health medical issues must be kept securely in this file. Because this medical information is very personal (the required information and documents could depend on your business industry)
Immigration record: For foreigner who come to work with you, it may be necessary to keep a record of the following: nationality, place of birth, profession, place of last residence, address, work permit applictions, etc.