HR leaders are busy individuals! They are tasked with a wide variety of goals and jobs. And one of those important jobs is finding and developing great leaders. It’s not just about hiring managers to fill vacant roles, it’s about finding the right talent to hire that can develop into strong leaders in the future to continue growing the organization.
Here are some of the ways that HR can improve the leadership development within an organization:
1. Bring in leadership development training for the team
Providing leadership development training can have an impact on your current and future leaders. We hear many examples of individuals that are great at their jobs and are eventually promoted up through the ranks to management. And this is great except for the fact that these individuals have never managed anyone before.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to do a job well and how to manage others that are doing the job as well. This is why it’s important for HR to have a leadership development plan in place. If all you do is promote existing employees into leadership roles, you’re not actually creating “leaders”.
Training your team together can benefit the entire organization as you work to get the team on the same page. And it makes it easier to find qualified individuals that you can promote from within. This can help to build a strong team culture in your company.
2. Provide leaders with individual training/coaching as needed
As you take inventory of your team, you may find that some individuals need additional coaching or training. Remember, leadership is a learned skill, not just something that people are born with or not. If you see that you have a struggling manager, it doesn’t mean that they’re not right for the position, they just might need a little work.
Invest in bringing in a leadership development coach to help them overcome their challenges and strengthen their skills so they can lead their team better.
3. Improve the employee onboarding experience
The employee onboarding experience can make a big difference in the role and fit of an individual within a company, including leaders. If your standard onboarding experience is to have new employees fill paper work out and then read through training manuals, you’re missing a key opportunity.
The first day is your chance to help new employees connect with the company and team. Assign an individual to mentor the new employee. Show them around the building. Introduce them to all the members of the team. Take them out to lunch and be an open book. Help the employee connect with others on a human level.
Before jumping into the “how” of the job, spend time helping them learn about the company culture, mission and goals. Spend the first day doing nothing other than the legal things you have to do and the things that are going to get them excited to be a part of your organization. And then, let that continue through their entire onboarding experience. Don’t just throw new people into an open desk and let that be it.
4. Partner leaders together
Mentorship is important for developing leaders. Business coaches can help fill this role, but if you have an organization with multiple leaders, it’s a great idea to provide mentors within the company as well. If you have employees that desire to work into leadership roles, partner them with existing leaders so they can start learning right now. There’s no reason to wait to develop leadership skills until the position is open and available. This can help make your new leaders, great leaders and keep your existing leaders on their toes.
5. Make the right hires
If you want to be an organization that churns out great leaders on all levels, it starts with your interview process. You need to create a process that helps you identify individuals that are already strong leaders and those that have the desire to lead (even if they don’t know it yet). Make sure you’re considering the character of the hire along with the details of their resume. Look for what questions you can add to your application that can weed out those that aren’t going to be a strong fit with improving the culture of your company.
There are a lot of systems and procedures that can be implemented to help your organization be full of great leaders. But it always starts with addressing and meeting the needs of current leaders. If you have questions on how SPEARity can partner with you to transform your leaders so your company can continue to grow, contact us today.
