Thread: Setting up a New HR Department

I am interested to hear from HR Professionals with regards to what they believe to be the most important things to consider when setting up a new HR Department.

What things do you think are the most important, and in what order would you seek to implement these?

Hi Greg,

I just registered and this is my first comment on here. Hope it's worth it!

I've not yet started an HR department from scratch, but of late I've worked as the second HR Manager for two companies, (you could say taking credit where the hard work has already been done!), but it's been useful to see with fresh eyes what is possible in the first few months of an HR department's life, and where to take it next.

For me, there is a pretty reliable life-cycle for HR in it's first year. Firstly, establish the legal framework upon which everything else rests. Get the admin of contracts and terms set out before being too ambitious. No-one needs 100 policies on everything, but the basics will take a short while. Next, if only for urgency's sake, recruitment must take precedence. This is HR's biggest selling point and can add value quickest. get the channels open and a process through which offers can be made. From there, I wouldn't do very much until I'd spoken to those at the very top. Do they see HR as a value-adding function, a regulatory one, or both. Build on what they want first and the rest will come.

Oh, and get some solid legal advice behind you. Preferably on a retainer, with indemnity insurance! You sleep better at night, and can crack on with the bigger stuff much more quickly.

Hi Tim, thanks for your response.

Recruitment is definately a key thing to get managers attention, also if you get it wrong then they blame you, and you also need to deal with the poor performance/ capability issues that may well follow!

With regards to the legal advice, would you typically go to a solicitors for this, or a HR Consultancy/ HR Outsourced Service Provider?

Have you gone in and changed anything? I guess you could get lucky and someone has simply left the chair your going to fill for career progression, but sometimes it can be for basically being no good (it can happen)...

Has anyone had to go in and clear up a messy situation?

I went down the HR consultancy route for legal costs. Fixed fees are a weight off the mind compared with legal fees which bill by the minute!

Luckily, I have always had a good handover from professional predecessors. That said, as a new HR-lead, if you don't want to change things, you're probably missing something!

Well set-up office systems make your business more efficient. Instead of cobbling it together, plan it properly from the start.

In any new role you need to ensure that you add value, but making changes just to put 'your stamp' on things isnt needed. After all if it isnt broken then dont fix it.

Starting from a blank canvas is different, and you need to take into account how you want the organisation to develop, and what you want the culture to be.

Talking to key stakeholders is always going to be key.