First published: July 13th 2023
Last updated: July 13th 2023

Many organisations have no HR department or dedicated HR staff. Depending on employee numbers and revenue, it may not make financial sense to employ a full-time HR employee.

In these circumstances, managers and team leaders tend to be very involved in HR decisions whether they’re aware of it or not.

Managers typically manage workplace processes like recruitment, onboarding, training and performance management.

As well as optimising performance, managers who have a basic understanding of certain employment laws also help ensure your organisation remains legally compliant.

As they’re so involved in a range of HR processes, your management team really need an understanding of certain HR fundamentals to get the best out of both themselves and their team members.

What are the fundamentals of HR?

The following aspects of HR management are areas that managers and team leaders should be familiar with:

• General employment law compliance (minimum wage, written terms of employment, equality/anti-discrimination)
• Disciplinary and grievance procedures
• Absence management
• Performance management
• Recruitment and retention
• Working time rules
• Record keeping
• Bullying and harassment
• Conflict resolution.

Managers with a good grasp of these HR fundamentals are more likely to recruit people who fit your company culture, perform better and build long-term careers with your organisation.

Likewise, managers with training in HR fundamentals are more likely to have engaged employees on their team who deliver more productive work and meet customer expectations.

Essentially, managers who have a good understanding of fundamental HR principles are more likely to deliver outstanding results through careful management of the human resources on their team.

The benefits of HR training for managers

Managers with a good understanding of fundamental HR principles will understand how to manage the full spectrum of people management challenges.

Team leaders will enjoy better working relationships with the individual employees on their team and relate how the team’s work fits into the overall objectives of the organisation.

Most importantly, managers will be able to grow their team’s headcount without making costly recruitment errors and improve performance without compromising the organisation’s legal compliance.

Book your training session with a Graphite HR expert

HR and employment law compliance is a major challenge for leadership teams.

To arrange HR training for managers in your organisation, call a Graphite HR expert today on (0)1 886 0350 or request a callback here.