Payroll is part and parcel of any company structure, but there’s more to it than just processing payroll – and that’s People and Culture. It’s how you connect with your people and create a culture in your organization.
The HR function should not just be cutting checks for payroll or signing off on a handbook. It's more about finding ways to communicate with your employees how important they are and letting them know and feel how much you appreciate them.
HR as the Trust-Builder
People and Culture starts with payroll because that's where the trust-building starts. Sure, you can have the best intentions. But if you can't get that one right, your people aren't going to see anything else, and that's what’s going to create the kind of culture within your team.
At the end of the day, you can't have a fully functioning HR department when you can't get the basics down, payroll included – but then again, it’s more than just payroll!
In the book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni says that in every dysfunction, at the very base of that pyramid is a trust issue. Therefore, you have to design a people and culture process designed to have tons of trust builders built into it that will serve as the checks and balances to the people leading and managing your team.
How to Create a People and Culture Process
Make it a priority to figure out the things necessary to put an HR structure in place. Have a handbook whenever you bring an employee on. People treat handbooks almost like they treat operating agreements when they form their businesses. Either they don't exist, or if they do, they haven't read it. They've just got some templates they pulled together.
When in fact, the handbook is one of the most important people and culture tools that you can have in your arsenal because it outlines the agreement, which ensures accountability and business compliance. Through your handbook, your employees can set and manage expectations.
How to Create a Culture of Connection
Spend at least 30 minutes just talking with your team because they want to connect with their leaders and talk about things that are not always constantly about work. They've chosen to work for you and so, that loyalty needs to be fostered and encouraged.
Every culture is different. And so whatever works for one organization may be different from another. Ultimately, you have to build a culture that aligns with you and drives people to fit into your culture.
If you want to learn more about building your People & Culture process, check out Episode 081: People & Culture Is Bigger Than Processing Payroll.
