The Human Resource Audit as an Improvement Tool

The Human Resource Audit as an Improvement Tool Regardless of the type of company or the size of your HR department, the HR Audit is a simple, yet comprehensive tool to analyze and improve your effectiveness as a function. The audit is made up of four main steps: 1) Define desired HR practices for your organization 2) Assess current practices against the criterion that you have established 3) Analyze the results 4) Establish improvement goals and take action This simple four-step approach can be repeated as the annual planning and goal setting process occurs within your company. Progress can be measured against goals and a continuous improvement cycle naturally unfolds. Purpose(s) of an Audit The audit can serve any of the following purposes: To clarify desired practices of HR work and roles within the organization (HR Department, Line Managers). To establish a baseline for future improvement. To evaluate current effectiveness. To standardize practices across multiple sites within a division or company. To assess current knowledge and skills required of HR practitioners. To improve performance levels to key customers within the organization. The Audit Process Step One--Defining Audit Statements Definition of desired HR practices can occur through in a variety of ways. A good starting point is to take some time and reflect on the legal requirements and programs that the department must ...