Those days are by-gone when HR was regarded merely as a support department. Now it has emerged as a producing department which produces services for the achievement of organizational goals. It has been recognized as a business partner. There are different factors that have played important role in order to elevate the status and highlighting the importance of the functions of HR department. Most important factor in my opinion is that human resources play very vital role in the success of a business. Present age is the age of competition; businesses are trying to develop such products and services that are unique, efficient and effective. For the development of products and services businesses rely on inimitable technologies and unique production facilities. But it is quite hard to keep production and services generation facilities inimitable. Thus, focus is shifting towards human resources at the place of technologies. Reason is that human resources are inimitable they cannot be copied, whereas technologies can be copied easily. If a business has such human resources who can build, generate and develop unique products and services it automatically earns advantage over its competitors. Therefore, companies hire best talent, develop human resources exactly in accordance with their needs and do their best to improve the performance of manpower, in response of these measures their employees remain loyal with them and earn them advantage over their competitors by developing unique products and services. Due to the crucial role that human resources play the importance of HR department has raised.
In such a situation where organizations are recognizing that HR department is not less than other department, there is a need for branding of HR department. Branding of a department means developing a business within a business. It helps to organize and manage a department effectively, improves its performance, reduces its cost and helps to achieve organizational goals. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of a department within an organization. It becomes easier to get the budget for department approved. Intra-departmental and inter-departmental connections get strong. Quality of its services and products improves. Pricing of the products of a department becomes possible. Waste reduces as the department tries to decrease its cost and it produces products and services in accordance with the needs of its customers. Process of innovation gets fast. Decision making within a department becomes easier as it acts as a separate entity within a business. It gives an identity to the employees of a department. Least but not last brand equity is the reason for branding a department.
How to do Branding of a Department
After studying the reasons for branding a department now we will move further in order to learn that how to do it.
Organizational Analysis:
First step is to perform organizational analysis. It helps to understand organizational structure, operations, strategies, goals and brings forward the problems that are affecting an organization’s performance.
Development of Department’s Vision and Mission:
In my humble view this is the most crucial step during the course of departmental branding. Developing departmental vision and mission requires business acumen. Always keep in regard business’s vision, mission, aims, goals and objectives while performing this step. Misalignment in this regard is going to bring negative results in front. Stakeholder analysis should be conducted to determine intra-departmental and inter-departmental stakeholder. It helps to know and understand stakeholders. Requirements analysis should be performed after performing stakeholder analysis. It brings in forward the requirements of stakeholders. Furthermore, with its help it may be determined that which of the requirements are important and which are not. Understanding business’s objectives, conducting stake holder analysis and requirements analysis are essential in order to develop a department’s vision and mission.
Development of Departmental Structure:
Departmental structure must be designed in such a way that brings it in further alignment with the organization’s structure. Aim is to designate responsibilities in the light of requirements that are being found after requirements analysis. It improves departmental operations.
Departmental Budget:
The department’s budget must be developed in such a way that it syncs with strategic organizational goals within organizational guidelines. Particularly when it comes to develop an HR department’s budget it must be ensured that the department is a business partner which is able to validate expenses and connect its activities with the organizations overall program of work and it is also necessary because HR is regarded as a cost center rather than a revenue-generating function.
Pricing of Products and Services:
Neither your products be under-priced nor overpriced they must be in alignment with the prices that are prevalent in market. Furthermore, factors such as demand and supply must also be considered during the course of pricing.
Marketing of Products and Services:
Develop such products and services that are in accordance with the requirements of other departments and overall organizational requirements. After developing properly market your products and services. Design market campaigns and strategies.
Accounts Management:
Keep an accurate record of accounts receivables and payable.
Planning:
Planning in terms of procurement, production, sales and expenditures must be done in advance in the light of previous trends and patterns. Planning must also be done to cut costs and improve quality of products and services.
Determination of Profits:
Departmental profits must be determined and published.
Branding of your HR department will make it in alignment with organizational aims and objectives. Your department will have a clear direction and a road map. You will provide an identity to the employees of your department that will make them feel proud. They will be more engaged than before and their performance will improve. After determining the organizational requirements your department will be producing exact services under the banner of its exclusive brand.
