New HR Head at a Startup: How Do I Tackle Recruitment and Policy Challenges?

Hello Everyone, I am Nikunj Rohit from Vapi, Gujarat. I have an MBA in HR and recently started a job at a Plastic Company as the HR Head. Since this company is new and has appointed me as the HR Head, I am facing challenges related to HR policies such as the recruitment process, attendance, PF, ESIC, etc. Can anyone please help me with these basic HR issues?

Please let us know which topic you require assistance with and what specific issues you are facing. We can provide guidance on various HR policies such as the recruitment process, attendance management, PF, and ESIC.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,
Elite HR Management

Since you are new to the company and the company itself is new, you have to design HR policies and put them into practice. Designing HR policies requires sound HR knowledge and practical experience. I recommend attending workshops on HR aspects to enhance your understanding. HR and labor laws are professional practices, so it's important to work closely with seniors to learn the ropes. With valuable experience, you can eventually lead the HR department.

In the meantime, you can search for policies in the portal's search field and review the attachments. I have also gained a lot of insights from this platform. Best of luck!

All the best.

Dear Abhay, please read the query once again which was sent by Mr. Rohit. Rohit is a fresh candidate. He was forced by the management to do the HR Head activity. So, I request you to please don't DEMOTIVATE in this forum.

Regarding Your Query

Dear Mr. Rohit, congratulations on your job and position. First of all, BE PROUD TO BE IN HR. Everything is very simple in the field of HR. Tell me what the strength of your company is, where your company is situated, and the processes of the company.

Regards,
M. Dinesh Kumar, M.B.A., M.L.M.

Thank you for your wishes. My company's strength is almost 150, including staff and workers. It is a plastic and packaging company situated in Daman.

Regards,

Get the basics in place first. Start with the statutory part. Does your firm have any consultants managing it? If so, call for a meeting and understand every process managed by them. Stay focused on what needs deep adherence and how many ways it can go wrong. A deep study in this area would get you on your feet.

HR Operations Alignment

Next is the operation or Line-HR, as they call it. There is a way your company functions, and you have to define HR Operations in alignment with it. Suppose the production needs to be delivered in shifts; you have to outline the timekeeping process and collecting data for payroll. There are more drill-downs that we can discuss as we progress.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Further to what (Cite Contribution) & M. Dinesh Kumar mentioned, also FIRST sit with the MD/Management to understand what THEY actually want to focus on... meaning THEIR priorities. This aspect is of primary importance in such first-time HR department cases [I mean the Organizations... NOT the new HR].

Quite often, the priorities from the HR perspective end up being DIFFERENT from those of the Management. So after spending weeks/months, all you MAY have to hear is, 'I wanted that first' sort of comments.

Make a list of all the work that needs to be done — at a very broad level.

Guess you can make a list & post it in this thread & the members can add to the list. Once you have such a list ready, take time from your boss & ensure you get the focus right. It would be better IF you can make a Minutes-of-Meeting & send it back to him/her so that everyone is on the same page.

The main advantage of such a position that you have is the excellent opportunity to learn in the fast-track mode [you can be sure that not many Freshers ever get such a chance in their careers... most often what you are about to do would come to them after 4-5 years of experience, IF at all].

Coming to the downside, such an exercise has the built-in chance of boomeranging on the Fresher — IF things are not made clear right from the word GO — in BLACK & WHITE. Record EVERY discussion for future reference [quite often, after a couple of years, the primary reason(s) for any decision(s) at the start of the effort get lost, unless they are recorded]. Recording the meetings would also inculcate a sense of professionalism in the way you work... would surely help throughout your career & not just here.

Another reason for recording ALL meetings/interaction is this: though I am sure the Company has valid reasons to appoint a Fresher as the HR Head, it can also mean that they don’t know much about either HR or the business that they are in [150 employees aren’t micro-level for sure]. So when anything goes wrong OR doesn’t go at the speed initially asked for, it’s YOU who will get the stick.

In a nutshell, GRAB the chance but with the associated safeguards into the way you go about the job.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

Congratulations, Rohit. First of all, use common sense as much as possible without any fear or hesitation. Then, use your bookish knowledge and refer to the internet for various rules and regulations. Build a strong team and involve everybody in the process of building a new company. You are really lucky to get this position at the beginning of your career itself.

I am very thankful to all of you for guiding and motivating me. After reading your comments, I have started to implement many things in my work, and I am finding things easier.

Thanks and Regards,
NIKUNJ ROHIT