“Help, my company is going through an awkward and uncomfortable ‘teenage growth spurt.’” Might be time for an HR Audit.

May 6th, 2015
Written by: Elizabeth Richards

Earlier this year I wrote about why a company that feels “out of control” should consider investing in its HR function. (Q: “Why did you decide to outsource HR?” A: “We started to feel out of control.”) 

This article is about a different feeling: A nagging sense of organizational awkwardness or discomfort that seems analogous to those fraught years during one’s journey from adolescence through the teens. The difference is that being a teenager is a phase that one naturally grows out of (usually!). But organizations don’t just grow out of an awkward phase without some sort of insight and leadership. And very often those insights can come from an effective, independent audit of your HR function.

Here are a few of the symptoms of an organization that is going through its “awkward teenage phase:”

• Growth Spurt: You feel as though the organization’s needs have outgrown your current HR function.
• Feeling Lost: You don’t know what HR skills you need to accomplish the business priorities.
• Questioning One’s Worth: You don’t know how to evaluate and prioritize HR programs and processes.
• Feeling as Though You Don’t Fit: You have concerns—or are unsure—about whether you are in compliance with employment and workplace laws and regulations.
• Feeling Overwhelmed: You’ve had significant growth in revenue and number of employees, resulting in the need for structure and processes.
• Relationship Challenges: Your organization has been through a merger or acquisition and there’s confusion about roles and responsibilities.
• Trouble with Authority: You have been notified of an EEO employment claim or DOL audit.

Rest assured that, like those awkward teenage years, all of the above signs are quite normal. But make no mistake that they are signals your business has changed. And with changes come increased risks due to factors including compliance, policies, best practices and the necessary HR skills to manage it all. An objective, expert audit will protect the organization, establish best practices and identify opportunities for improvement.

Here’s a list of what your HR audit should cover:

• Compliance, Recordkeeping and Regulations
• Recruiting and Hiring
• Human Resources Systems and Processes
• Policies and Procedures
• Compensation and Benefits
• Rewards and Recognition
• Performance Management
• Employee Communications
• HR Department Structure and Workflow
• Employee Development and Training
• Termination Processing 

The bottom line: The more your organization has that awkward, uncomfortable feeling, the more you could gain by engaging in a proper HR audit.