1. HR in SME’s

2. How to introduce Human
Resource Management in
SME and craft sector

3. Human Resource Management in
SME and craft sector
How ?
What ?

4. HOW ?

5. UNIZO HR initiatives
Tools
• Checklists
• Website
– Online seminars
– Online checklists
– Competence management software
– Manual competence management
– Leadership skills
– Newsletter

6. Checklists
• Low threshold
• Professionalize HRM
• Step-by-step
• On the basis of analysis
• Attention for lesser applied solutions in
SME’s

7. Checklists
• Analysis of HR policies
• Becoming an attractive employer
• Recruitment
• What to do when a new employee starts?
• Training and development
• Communication
• Laying-off staff
• Diversity

8. www.hrmcoach.be

9. UNIZO HR initiatives
Training
• Info sessions
– Recruitment
– Motivating staff
– Wage policies > worker benefits
• Round tables
– SME’s & worker unions
– Diversity within the SME
• HRM Coach – network

10. HRM Coach – network
• 10 sessions – competence management
– 60 SME’s
– 4 locations
– Networking
– Experts

11. WHAT ?

12. Main tasks within traditional HR
• Pay-roll administration
• Recruitment
• Managing people

13. New HR
• Management of strategic human resources
– Coupling HR to business strategy
• Management of transformation and change
– Creating a new organisation
• Management of the human resources
– Listen en react to employees
• Management of an administration
– Rethinking administration-processes

14. HR in SME’s
• Entrepreneur = often HR Manager
• No background
• Extra responsibility
• Not main goal of being entrepreneur

15. Needs of SME’s
• Research 2001
– Not enough tools
• Time consuming
• Exaggerated
– Welfare problems of employees
– Less and less skilled
personnel/candidates

16. The state of HRM in Flanders’
SME’s
• Very different from SME to SME
• Differences are not related to size or
means
• Entrepreneur is key-player

17. 1. MSP
• 2 years ago 50 employees
• Separate HR Manager > wife of owner plays key-roll
in HR
• Now 150 employees (ICT sector)
• Harder & harder to find staff
• Wages are big decision factor
– Need for structured HR policies and methods
– Focus on training & development in existing HR
– Focus on good salary policy

18. 2. Trappen Teck
• Family Business
• 20 people
• Entrepreneur = HR Manager
• Harder & harder to find staff
– Skills & attitude
• Wages are big decision factor
– Need for structured HR policies and methods
– Only pay-roll

19. 3. establis • 2nd generation
• Entrepreneur = HR Manager
• Difficulty with finding staff
– Focus on training
– Everybody starts in the
same function
• ISO certificate > basis of HR
• Need for more focus on
coaching and career-
planning

20. 4. De Noordboom
• Expanding > family company and
atmosphere is disappearing
• Young versus old
• Entrepreneur and employee = HR team
– Combination accounting & HR
• Lack of structure is a strain on growth

21. 5. Muyshondt
• 30 employees
• Difficult to find staff > work with
foreigners > language barrier
• Focus in HR on pay-roll and
recruitment
• Entrepreneur = HR Manager

22. Introducing HR of the future
• Competence management as a
solution
• HR of the future
– Taking into account
• War for talents
• Knowledge management
• Training and development
• …

23. Competence management
• Bridges the gap between the mission statement and
the strategy of the organisation on the one hand and
the necessary competences to be able to exercise a
certain job.
• The success of employees is largely determined by
their competences (not only by their IQ, education or
personality traits).
• Technical, social and personal competences are the
key for their success within your company.

24. UNIZO-viewpoint on competence
management
What do we have to do? Are we doing it right?
competences (self)-assessment
job- Competence development
mission statement reviews
descriptions
Development points/
organisation’s structure
follow-up

25. Advantages - employer
• Being able to assess the value of an employee
and use them in the best way to attain the company
goals. Evaluate employees on the basis of
competences and motivating them.
• Better recruitment and hiring. Through better view
on necessary knowledge, competences and
attitudes.
• Being able to fill vacancies off hard to find
profiles.

26. Advantages - employee
• Career management
• Objectified evaluation
• Better informed and structured feedback

27. Conditions to start
• Clear goals on long and short term with
a strategy behind them.
• Actions to achieve these goals
• Being prepared to invest in training and
development of employees
• Be prepared to if necessary reorganize
certain processes.

28. Starting-point
• Mission statement
– WHO ARE WE
– WHERE ARE WE GOING
– WHAT DO WE STAND FOR
• Values

29. 4 elements
Why = goal
Beliefs = values
Position and competences = strategy
Policy and behaviour= code of conduct

30. Specific
Where are we going?
• Ambitions, desired situation on long term
• Ideal image of future
• Different perspectives : economic, social &
society
What do we want to reach?
• Desired and measurable result with timing
• Direction

31. Why a Mission statement
Companies whose employees
understand the mission and goals
enjoy 29% greater return than
other firms
• Reflecting on the company
• Creates identity
• Creates a sense of direction
• Basis of rules of conduct
• Inspire people/employees
• Internal and external use

32. Strategy of the organisation
Structures, systems, modus operandi
Recruitment Career-
Training Assessment Coaching Rewards
Selection management

33. Job-
descriptions
A. B.
Profile of Competence
function profile
content
framework of general technical behavioural
responsibilities
tasks job competences competences competences

34. 2. Profile of function
Content of function
Specific name of the function
General description of the tasks
Responsibilities and sub-tasks
Framework
Position in the organisation
Timesheet
Wages and classification
Working conditions
Requirements for the job

35. 2. Profile of function
Analysis of
sources
Draft
Test-group
(review)
Validation by
employees
Implementation

36. 3.a Competence profiles
• Divide competences
• Competence library
• Allocate competences

37. 3.b Competence profiles
Step 1 • Define crucial and important competences
• Definitions
Step 2 • Subgroups
• Reduce
Step 3 • Expected behaviour (SMART)

38. 3.c Competence profiles
GROUP METHODS
• Mission statement
General
competences • Management
• Interview employee
Technical
• Internal & external
Competences
sources
Behavioural • Expected behaviour
Competences • Differential analysis

39. 4. Culture
Effect of company culture on implementation
“ It doesn’t matter
how fast you run
if you are running
in the wrong direction.”

40. 5. Recruiting in a new way
STAR :
• Situation (own experience from past)
• Tasks (responsibility)
• Action (used method)
• Result (success, learning result)

41. Hiring people is one thing,
keeping them is another.

42. Motivators
35 Responsabilty
30
development &
25 opportunities
20
relationship
15 with co-
workers
10
Wages &
5 advantages
0
< 20 20-49 50-99 recognition &
appraisal
Bron: SDWorx

43. 6. Competence development
• Training
• Coaching

44. 7. Communication and
participation
• Sense of urgency
• Make sure you have a vision, a story
• Make a plan
• Look at changes in the past
• Involve people
• Communicate and inform
• Create a broad basis within the organisation
• Get rid of obstacles
• Consolidate successes in the system

45. The potential beneficial effects
of the use of checklists in
order to improve Human
Resource Management in the
SME and craft sector

46. Professionalize
• Step by step
• Aspects which are needed
• No structural change

47. Contents
• HOW DO I CHOOSE THE MOST SUITABLE EMPLOYEE FOR MY
COMPANY?
• SELF-TEST LIST ‘ A GOOD INDUCTION MEANS A GOOD
START’
• A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO IN-SERVICE TRAINING
• CREATING FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR COMPANY
• TIPS FOR WORKING WITH OLDER EMPLOYEES IN YOUR SME
• 10 TIPS FOR USING PAY TO MOTIVATE YOUR EMPLOYEES
• EMPLOYEES PERFORM BETTER IF THEY ARE MOTIVATED
• INTELLIGENT DELEGATION FOR BETTER RESULTS
• DEALING WITH ABSENTEEISM
• CONSULTATION IN THE SME

48. HOW DO I CHOOSE THE MOST SUITABLE
EMPLOYEE FOR MY COMPANY?
• Do I really have a vacancy?
• Draw up a proper job description
• Do all requirements have to be met
immediately?
• Interview & testing

49. SELF-TEST LIST ‘ A GOOD INDUCTION
MEANS A GOOD START’
• A good induction increases the new employee’s motivation,
sets the right tone from the start in terms of what is
expected, creates a pleasant working atmosphere, and
ensures that the new worker settles into your company as
quickly as possible.
• Are you properly prepared for starting the induction on the
new employee’s first day at work?
• Programme drawn up
• Documentation provided (see below)
• Supervision arranged for the whole day
• • ...

50. A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO IN-SERVICE
TRAINING
• You must systematically monitor training
requirements. There are four key moments at
which to do this:
• Strategic changes
• Recruitment or promotion of employees
• Problems and sticking points
• Requests from employees
• When is training necessary?
• How to prepare a training course properly?
• How can you increase the benefits of a training
course?

51. CREATING FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR COMPANY
• If flexibility is important to your business strategy,
you need to try to work out your flexibility
requirements and the market tendencies as far as
possible before any specific need arises
• try to adopt structural measures to promote
flexibility in your company
• Supply Chain Management
• Keep a close eye on labour regulations
• Bear in mind that there are certain limits to flexible
working

52. CREATING FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR COMPANY
• Extra hours
• Flexible working hours
• Part-time
• Shifts
• Temporary contracts
• Temporary lay-offs
• Outsourcing
• …

53. TIPS FOR WORKING WITH OLDER
EMPLOYEES IN YOUR SME
• Age-aware human resources policy begins with
the school-leaver’s first experience of work
• Make working a positive experience
• Encourage a sense of personal responsibility
• Work on involving your
• Develop a diversity policy that eliminates
prejudice
• Some skills get better as you get older
• Loyalty and stability are additional plus-points
• Aim for a balanced mix of experience
• Not everyone gets older in the same way

54. PAY POLICY IN THE SME
• The strategy and culture of your company
• Responding to developments on the job market
• Comply with the wage standard and the collective
labour agreement
• How you remunerate your employees must meet the
requirements with regard to taxes and social security.
• There is a fair pay scale for every job.
• offer the chance of financial advancement
• Your pay policy also needs to provide a solution for
the difference in performance between employees

55. PAY POLICY IN THE SME
• Any ‘extra benefits’ you offer need to take into
account the opportunities for tax relief and what
the employees concerned really want
• Your pay policy needs to be transparent enough
to help motivate your employees
• You need to explain to every employee the value
of his or her salary, bonuses and benefits in a
balanced and clear way

56. EMPLOYEES PERFORM BETTER IF THEY ARE
MOTIVATED
• What do I offer to my employees? What makes my company attractive to a
potential applicant? Why does he or she want to work for me?
• What type of job do you most like doing? Why?
• What do you like most/least in your job?
• Do you have contact with customers or do you prefer internally-oriented activities?
• Do you like to take the initiative or do you prefer to help your colleagues in a more
subordinate role?
• Do you find repetitive work boring?
• How independently would you like to work?
• Would you like more/less supervision in your job?
• What working relationships and situations do you like the most?
• In which department would you most like to work? (admin, production, accounts,
etc.)
• How, in your opinion, could good performance be rewarded?

57. EMPLOYEES PERFORM BETTER IF THEY ARE
MOTIVATED
1. Reward good results and professionalism
2. Discourage unprofessional behaviour
3. Work out what an employee is looking for in his or her job
4. Make sure you know what is going on in your company
5. Work with targets and communicate these to your team
6. Increase the involvement of your employees
7. Work towards variable payment strategies (individual or
group-based)
8. Play your role as manager

58. SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION
• Create the right conditions for delegation.
• Your company’s objectives have to be clearly and precisely
formulated.
• They have to feel involved and ready to work with you to
achieve these objectives.
• Specific expectations and results for each employee.
• You should opt for jobs which motivate your employees,
require them to be flexible and encourage them to take
responsibility themselves and to share their knowledge and
experience. You need to have the right person in the right
job and give employees sufficient freedom to make
decisions. There should be no barrier between thinking and
doing and everyone should have a broad range of duties.
• It’s OK to make mistakes.

59. SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION
• You can never delegate your final responsibility. Likewise,
confidential matters, policy issues, things which have to be
sorted out as a team or disciplinary matters can’t be
delegated.
• Your routine tasks might, however, prove interesting for an
employee.
• Look, together with your employees, for ‘interesting work’.
• Make sure that you have a good picture of the capacities
and wishes of your employees. Good ways of arriving at
this are performance review interviews, as well as short,
informal conversations.
• Choose tasks and assignments which motivate your
employees, but which they are also capable of carrying out.
These are the best sorts of things to delegate.

60. SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION
• Compare the knowledge and skills required to carry out the
task with the knowledge and skills that your employees
have.
• Delegate at the right level. Take the experience and
competencies of your employees into account.
• Don’t just throw people in at the deep end. Do the work
together. It may be that not everything will go well the first
time, but this is to be expected. Provide a lot of
supervision.
• Do the important things together, but let your employee do
the rest alone. Be aware of when you need to step back.
• Employees will decide for themselves how much help they
need. Let them decide the control moments.
• Make sure that your employees have everything they need
to carry out the tasks as independently as possible.

61. DEALING WITH ABSENTEEISM
Individual factors
• Personal factors can play a role in absenteeism: the physical and
psychological condition of the person concerned, the private-life
situation of your employees and their lifestyle outside work.
Social factors
• Broad socio-economic trends also play a part in contributing to
absence due to illness: the fact that life and work are becoming ever
more intense, the general value which our culture places on work and
the developments in legislation and social security regulations.
Company factors
• How work is organized also plays a major role. This means not just the
working situation in which your employees are required to perform, but
also how your company deals with health and absenteeism.
• As an employer you certainly don’t bear sole responsibility for the
health of your workers, but do have a considerable interest in doing
what you can to prevent absence due to illness.

62. DEALING WITH ABSENTEEISM
Individual factors
• Personal factors can play a role in absenteeism: the physical and
psychological condition of the person concerned, the private-life
situation of your employees and their lifestyle outside work.
Social factors
• Broad socio-economic trends also play a part in contributing to
absence due to illness: the fact that life and work are becoming ever
more intense, the general value which our culture places on work and
the developments in legislation and social security regulations.
Company factors
• How work is organized also plays a major role. This means not just the
working situation in which your employees are required to perform, but
also how your company deals with health and absenteeism.
• As an employer you certainly don’t bear sole responsibility for the
health of your workers, but do have a considerable interest in doing
what you can to prevent absence due to illness.

63. DEALING WITH ABSENTEEISM
Short term versus long term
Don’t trivialize or underestimate the risks
• The most important causes of prolonged work-generated invalidity
are accidents at work.
Ergonomics and stress
• Attention to ergonomics in the workplace and identifying possible
causes of work-related stress offer much more security for the
health of your workers.
Focusing on reintegration
• Employees who have been off sick for long periods of time, often
find it very difficult to return to work. This means you should keep in
contact with them during their sick leave and look, together with your
employee, for the best way of ‘easing’ him or her back into work.
This can result in a shorter absence.

64. CONSULTATION IN THE SME
• By consulting the workforce you show that you
value how your people do their jobs.
• Consultation helps your employees communicate
better with each other and with you.
• All employees like to be properly informed about
company affairs.
• Through consultation, employees gain an insight
into and an overall vision of what other people are
doing, which in turn creates a greater mutual
respect for each other’s work.
• Consultation fosters employee involvement, often
referred to as ‘ownership behaviour’.

65. CONSULTATION IN THE SME
You can choose various channels through which to communicate :
• Are your employees sufficiently aware of the business culture and values
that you regard as important? Are these regularly repeated and explained?
Are they regularly reminded of them?
• Do your employees have access to your company’s results?
• Does everyone in the company know what is expected of him or her?
• Are your employees clear about how far they can participate in decision-
making? On what issues can they offer advice and in which areas can they
make decisions themselves? What areas do you reserve for rulings from
above?
• Are your employees informed about – or involved in – major changes
(important new customers, new products, the arrival of new employees,
new machines or methods, etc.)?
• Do you know if everyone is satisfied with the communication approach in
your company?

66. CONSULTATION IN THE SME
How to communicate. Points to bear in mind.
• Limit the consultation to a maximum of 1 hour per time.
• As far as possible, conduct specific consultation in groups of no more than 6 to 8. This
leads to more involvement and provides a better chance for employee input.
• Some consultation items will come up over and over again
• Stress the importance of clarity (in agenda items, expectations, structure, follow-up,
communication).
• All the points which the employees bring up deserve your attention.
• Ask a lot of questions.
• If employees come to you with problems, encourage them to find their own solutions. •
Don’t operate with hidden agendas.
• If necessary, take a course on meeting techniques, communication or group dynamics.
• Provide a clear follow-up to the issues which the consultation meeting has raised
• Keep your employees continually informed and don’t always wait for the next formal
consultation meeting.
• Set a good example: if you want your employees to listen to you, make a point of
listening to them.