More personnel, more problems?
03 Jul 2008HRM challenges for growing organisations
A growing company not only experiences an increase in turnover and customer database, but the number of personnel usually rises too. A stumbling block for many entrepreneurs, who are often more inclined to focus on their production, accounting and marketing. Still, attracting and retaining staff members is one of the greatest challenges for these promising enterprises.
Researchers Mieke Van De Woestyne, Kristien Van Bruystegem and Prof. Dr. Koen Dewettinck from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School have recently developed How people managers handle growth: a practical guide for entrepreneurs for the Flanders DC knowledge centre.
The role of Human Resources changes and evolves as an organisation grows. When an organisation starts up, the focus lies on developing a new product or service based on a ‘gap in the market’. As a general rule, the co-workers that surround the pioneer entrepreneur are a closely knit clique, interacting with each other in an informal way. The initial staff members see their long workdays compensated by rather modest salaries, but they feel tremendously involved in the company and coached by their boss. As the team grows, it becomes more difficult to follow up and consult with everybody for every decision. An organisational structure and a clear strategy must be put in place. But this doesn’t happen without trial and error − and, of course, there are lots of snags along the way.
That’s why the practical guide has been developed: to help you grow your organisation from a micro- to a medium-sized company without losing your personnel’s enthusiasm.
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