Human Resources SWOT Analysis

Goal – identify Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) in Human Capital practices. An HR SWOT analysis involves identifying issues and finding solutions before they become unmanageable. View the SWOT analysis as an assessment of what the organization is doing right, how things might be done differently, more efficiently, or at reduced costs, and what must be addressed immediately.

S: HR strengths include strategy and functionality, building a top-tier workforce, being an employer of choice.

W: Weaknesses may stem from budget constraints, employee morale, high turnover.

O: Opportunities could come from workforce growth, demand for products and services, translating to higher wages, growth for surrounding communities, longer tenure.

T: Offering better working conditions, higher wages, more desirable benefits by others, cause difficulty recruiting best-qualified people.

HR SWOT ANALYSIS STARTING POINTS – OVERVIEW:

  1. Talent Management
  2. Performance management / Disciplinary issues
  3. Recruiting / Talent Acquisition
  4. Compensation
  5. Personnel Policies
  6. HRIS practices
  7. Payroll System / Time-keeping
  8. Employee Benefits
  9. New-employee orientation
  10. Training and Development
  11. Compliance
  12. Government Contractor conformity

HR SWOT ANALYSIS – DRILLING IN:

  1. Talent Management
    1. Ensure thorough understanding of company strategies, objectives
    2. Review competitive landscape, current, and potential business challenges
    3. A-Player vs. D-Player talent; ensure rankings in-line with business model
    4. 360-feedback
    5. Cultural realities
  1. Performance management
    1. Disciplinary issues; what, handling of
    2. Performance Reviews
    3. Terminations; policies and actions
    4. Employee Relations
    5. Employee Satisfaction
    6. Legal charges, complaints, resolutions
    7. Conflict Resolution
    8. Handling of Absences, Tardiness
  1. Recruiting / Talent Acquisition procedures
    1. Interviewing process
    2. Interview training
    3. Job Descriptions
    4. Background screening, Pre-Employment assessments
    5. Hiring processes; Forms & Tools
    6. Online / Social presence
    7. Recruiters vs. Agencies
    8. ATS system
  1. Compensation
    1. Salary adjustments; frequency, reasoning, fairness
    2. Base-pay increases
    3. Short-term incentives
    4. Discretionary awards, spot bonuses
    5. Long-term incentives
    6. Commissions
    7. Benchmarking
    8. 401(k) / other Retirement options
  1. Personnel Policies
    1. Performance and Discipline
    2. PTO, Holidays
    3. Absence without notice; Tardiness and call-in
    4. IT usage / Social 
  1. HRIS (must have data to make decisions)
    1. Current vs. needed
    2. Existing reports, Reports required
      1. Headcount
      2. Retention / Turnover
        1. Staffing needs, future pipelines
        2. Recruiting timelines / Time to fill
        3. Open Positions / # unfilled and why
        4. Effectiveness of Source
        5. Promotions / Internal moves
        6. Terminations / Reasons
        7. Absences, tardiness
        8. Age, Zip code, other Demographic breakouts
        9. Employee Survey input and follow-up
  1. Payroll System / Time-keeping practices
    1. Automation vs. manual
    2. Rounding up
    3. Corrections
    4. Dates
  1. Employee Benefits
    1. Medical
    2. Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, Life
    3. Fringe benefits per employee feedback
    4. Costs vs./ Value
  1. New-employee orientation forms
    1. Offer letter
    2. First day
    3. First 90 days; Expectations / Goals
    4. Provide feedback quickly
    5. Recognize achievements early
    6. Day-180, Day-365
  1. Training and Development
    1. Safety / Security / Workplace Violence
    2. Non-Harassment / Non-Discrimination
    3. Certified Interviewer
    4. Tracking and Reporting
  1. Compliance
    1. FLSA Classifications; Contract Employees
    2. Healthcare Reform (ACA), tracking, 2015 reports
    3. FMLA, ADAA, and other Leave requirements
    4. Employee Handbook
    5. EEOC requests for information
    6. Personnel files
    7. HIPPA
    8. I-9 & E-Verify
    9. Inspection and evaluation of physical facilities
    10. Workers’’ Compensation policies and practices
    11. Posters
  1. Government Contractor Compliance
    1. Affirmative Action Plan
    2. EEO-1
    3. EEOC Classifications
    4. Minimum wages
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“Use-it-or-lose-it” vacation policies

The Colorado Department of Labor (CDOL) announced that “use-it-or-lose-it” vacation policies would no longer be permitted. However, they then admitted materials on the subject were “Not clear.” Now they’ve released an FAQ, which continues the confusion. Here are some takeaways:

  • If you have a use-it-or-lose-it policy, it must clearly explain vacation earnings and accruals
  • Definition of when vacation is earned is critical
  • Value of vacation earned when an employee leaves must be paid
  • If you want to change your policy, it cannot be retroactive

You could put a cap on how much vacation is earned, require employees to use accumulated vacation before additional time could be earned, and have a policy clearly stating vacation pay is not earned until employees work the specified amount of time. But until further clarification, it looks like the employee must be paid for all earned and unused vacation time.

Thanks for the overview from Fisher & Phillips, found here: http://www.laborlawyers.com/colorado-department-of-labor-clarifies-vacation-pay-position