While for many people, the year-end is a time to start winding down, others may be gearing up for – or already well into – their busy season. For HR, regardless of the hustle and bustle around them, there are still a few boxes to tick off before the end of 2020. The end of the year is always a good time to reflect on what has happened, what went well and what we can look forward to in the future. The following is a list of suggestions to add to your checklist to tie up any loose ends and start 2021 right.
1. Assess current tools and processes
COVID-19 has thrown many challenges at us this year. Lots of businesses had to quickly implement strategies and get tools to tackle the issues that arose. This meant that organisations might not have been able to take the time to thoroughly assess the tools and processes used to see if they are actually the most cost-effective and efficient solutions available. It’s worth checking to see if what you’ve implemented or worked with this year is still fit for purpose, or if there’s a more effective and affordable process or tool that you can use instead.
2. Update your records
Your workforce has probably gone through various transitions this year. If you’ve not yet updated your organisation structure, including reporting lines, it’s worth checking that everything is accurate before starting the new year. Using HR software like Cezanne HR makes viewing organisation charts easy.
3. Analyse your data
The end of the year is often a good time to sit down and crunch some numbers. Check the data that you’ve accumulated in your HR software and see if there are some useful insights that you can use for the next year. Do you spot any absence trends? What were the responses/engagement with your performance reviews like? Looking for patterns and trends over time might highlight some issues that you may not have noticed day to day and can help you prioritise the matters you need to address. Find out more ideas on how you can use your HR system to make December a little easier.
4. Set up next year’s calendar
While you can’t pinpoint every event for the whole year, it’s worth planning out a general timeline of key activities within your company. For example, you can carve out the time for that required training session/refresher, or if you know you have a busy period in a few months’ time, you can pencil in when you would likely have to start the hiring period for temp staff. Not only will you then have an eye on all the company-wide parties or events that are taking place, setting up one calendar to give you a rough overview of department-specific activities means you’ll be in-the-know of what everyone is up to for the coming year and won’t be caught by surprise.
5. Check compliance changes
While compliance is a continuous task and not a one-time thing, you might want to check if all your current activities and documentation are still compliant. This might mean checking the latest government guidelines, visiting the relevant regulatory bodies’ websites, and updating your employee handbook or policy documents as needed. Some HR software suites like Cezanne HR make distributing such information to employees easier. E-signature functionality can then provide records of when employees have read the latest policy updates, so you can decide who might need chasing up.
6. Prepare for Brexit
It’s hard to be ready for the unknown, but with final Brexit deadlines coming up, it’s important that your organisation is prepared as best as possible. This could mean auditing your workforce to check who might be impacted by the transition (or making sure a previous audit is still up to date). Or, it could simply mean a company message reminding staff to get in touch, and who with, if they have concerns or questions.
7. Complete performance reviews
Many organisations carry out their performance reviews near the end of the year. This helps businesses plan budget and performance strategies for the coming year. Make sure all performance reviews are done, well documented and that action points have been decided. Learn more about how you can improve your performance management process.
Hannah Mandapat
Marketing Executive
Hannah has over five years of experience in the technology space, having worked in various marketing roles involving copywriting, social media management, and email marketing.
