Starting an HR Department from Scratch in an Old-School Publishing House: Where Do I Begin?

Hi friends, recently I joined a book publication house which has been operating since 1948. The company operates all over India, but everything is in an unorganized manner. There is no HR department, and I have to establish one. Could you please advise me on what initial steps should be taken to organize everything?

Thanks in advance. 

I think you have an excellent opportunity to showcase your skills, so be positive, confident, and well-prepared with knowledge. I would like to suggest the following:

1. First, create an organizational chart listing the available positions from top to bottom. Then, understand the roles and responsibilities of each position and define job descriptions outlining the exact responsibilities of each role.

2. Through these initiatives, strive to comprehend the operations of your unit to understand the current positions and associated activities within your organization. This will help you grasp the manpower requirements and ensure their proper deployment for desired outcomes. Additionally, you will gain insights into manpower requirements and their appropriate utilization.

3. Once you have a clear understanding of manpower allocation, link it to salaries and wages considering the organization's expenses towards employees.

4. After familiarizing yourself with these aspects, focus on developing organizational development interventions across the plant. Implement training and development programs, motivational initiatives, rewards and recognition schemes, establish amicable relations with employees, set up grievance redressal systems, and define various policies relating to attendance, overtime, time management, organizational development, and leave management.

5. Gradually gain expertise in non-core HR practices and build trust among all employees to ensure their support for your initiatives, which are crucial for your success.

6. Communicate effectively with employees to uncover truths, facts, and findings before making assumptions and proposing the benefits of core HR implementations to management. This approach will likely secure management's support for your endeavors.

I believe these steps will undoubtedly help establish HR's presence in your organization.

Regards,
Atul S Malve
Manager - HR & Admin
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Firstly, go and visit each department. Randomly ask the employees what they like most about the environment and facilities provided to them. Jot down the main points (or you can use some kind of assessment form for this purpose). Notice the key points and then call for section heads' and HODs' meeting to discuss the environment and facilities. Talk about the problems they are facing, etc. There may be common issues found since you are aware that things are disorganized. This way, you can gather clues about what is affecting them and their work the most. Accordingly, you can create your action plan.

Some good suggestions have already been given, but you need to do some work before you start following what Atul and Shipra have said. You need to first understand the business you are in. If you do not do that, then all the activities that Atul mentioned will not make any sense to you. Every industry comes with its own set of problems and nuances. So, for you to implement what Shipra suggested, you need to understand the business you are in as well.

Once you have understood that, you can start with what Atul and Shipra have rightly suggested. There is one more activity left to do, which is to understand the organizational dynamics (the POWER Structure). For an HR professional, that is the single most important task to perform. Identify the power structure. This will help you get your work done faster, smoother, and more intelligently.

Cheers,
Navneet

Others have given you some good ideas; hence, I will ask you a few questions. How large is your organization? How many people work in the organization? Is it privately owned?

Regards,
Simhan
Leaning and Teaching Fellow (Retd)
The University of Bolton, UK
Chief Advisor, Promentor-consulting

Yes, I will share everything with all of you. It's a PAN India company with a workforce of 109 employees, and it is a proprietorship firm.

Regards.

Setting Up an Effective HR Section

The effectiveness and efficiency should be kept in mind while setting up the HR section. Most of the time, the company experiences bottlenecks and doesn't know what to do. They appoint HR professionals to address organizational problems. Quick solutions are expected, and a lot of effort must be put in. The best course to start with is to formalize certain good practices followed in the industry by conscientious leadership. Organizational effectiveness comes once systems are followed. Consider conducting an organizational survey on fundamental HR topics to foster belongingness and involvement.

Try to involve key personnel in HR activities, ensuring contribution and support for all HR-related functions carried out by superiors. Consider creating an HR Manual that is as concise as possible. The simplest activity to start with is Training - the induction program.

Best of luck,

P. L. Negandhi

I agree with what the previous contributors mentioned. In short, you have to formulate organizational policies, such as:

General Conditions of Service

- This policy governs the day-to-day running of the business, including working hours, remuneration, overtime, allowances, leave, promotions, transfers, etc. It encompasses all staff welfare and should be in line with labor regulations and ILO standards.

Set Up Workers' Committees

- By setting up workers' committees, you will be able to formulate your company code of conduct. This code is only functional after it has been registered with the relevant body and signed off by both parties (workers & management). This will help you deal with grievances and disciplinary cases quite easily.

Set Up a SHE Policy

- Establish a SHE policy in line with occupational safety standards recognized in your country.

Kind Regards,
Edson

Mr. Atul, Mr. Shipra, and Mr. Navneet have suggested an opinion. However, before attempting to do anything, you should first understand the purpose and role of your induction within the company and create an action plan. It is also advisable to discuss your plan with your boss before implementation.

All the best.

I wonder if suggestions from Atul Malve and others would have been any different if they were given the following information by Krishan in another thread, at the outset:

"Yes, you are right, I posted that thread also. Regarding the hierarchical table, no hierarchical table is here because everyone is reporting directly to the managing director, whether they are a sales executive or a goods packer. Each and everyone is reporting to the MD."

Have a nice day.

Regards,
Simhan