Happy New Year! Now that all the balloons, noisemakers, confetti and other remnants of the holiday have been cleaned up and put away, it’s time to focus on your HR priorities for 2019. Some priorities may be new for 2019. Others may have carried over from 2018 and need to be completed or updated.

Here are some of the priorities we see on the lists of HR professionals and senior management for 2019:

  • Develop current and future leaders – Whether it’s leadership development, coaching, career paths and/or training, help your employees become the current and future leaders that move your organization forward in 2019 and beyond. How well they are prepared for the challenges faced by your industry will determine how successful your organization will be for the long haul.
  • Ensure your HR functions are in shape and align with your business model – This is a priority that needs to be pulled out, dusted off and updated every year. As an organization changes and the business model is tweaked or has a wholesale renovation, it is important to make sure that the HR functions are in step with the changes.
  • Create a recruiting strategy – As recruiting continues to be extremely competitive for many key positions, it’s important to determine what your strategy will be for 2019. Not the list of tasks to do, but how are you going to recruit? What is your strategy? What tactics or approach are you going to take to find the best candidates that relate to your culture?
  • Focus on Health and Wellness programs to encourage your staff to be “healthy” – whether group or individual activities, encourage employees to take steps to reduce stress and live healthier. Activities such as walking, Fitbit challenges, workplace yoga or meditation, as well as providing healthy snacks or onsite Weight Watchers meetings, are small and relatively inexpensive ways to help your employees stay healthy and, as Kaiser Permanente says, “to thrive” both at work and at home.
  • Be prepared to address safety – The opioid epidemic … active shooter concerns … marijuana use, whether or not you are in a state where marijuana is legal … all these situations impact HR. You need to be prepared with updated policies and procedures, as well as education to help your employees be prepared as well.

And Employee Engagement is the cherry on the top. Communicating to your employees, providing opportunities for them to feel part of the culture and helping them feel that they have a future with your organization will go a long way toward retention. Aim to be the best employer you can be for your people.

Best wishes for a successful New Year!