The importance of human resources to the development of your business

Jamar and Natassia Wright, founders of Mind Food International, a Kingston-based company that offers leadership training and human resources services in Jamaica and the diaspora, said investing in the growth and empowerment of individuals within a company is crucial for creating a positive work environment, boosting productivity, and attaining long-term success.

“By prioritising human potential development, organisations can nurture talent, improve skills, and foster a culture of continual learning and enhancement. This strategy not only aids employees in realising their full potential but also enhances the organisation’s overall success and sustainability,” Natassia said.

“Embracing human potential development is a strategic choice that can lead to a more motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce, driving innovation and growth,” she added.

“Human potential development is essential, as it enables individuals to evolve, learn, and grow into their best selves. By investing in personal development, we can uncover hidden talents, surmount obstacles, and build resilience when facing challenges,” Jamar said.

“It empowers us to set and accomplish meaningful goals, foster a growth-oriented mindset, and forge strong connections with others. Ultimately, embracing human potential development not only benefits the individual but also creates positive ripples in our communities and the world at large,” he added.

According to Natassia, human resources is the umbrella term used to describe the management and development of employees in an organisation. Ultimately, it is all about increasing employee performance. Traditionally, human resources focused on hiring, firing and the old-school annual pay review, but, more recently, it has been positively reframed and now covers a much wider remit.

As a business, you are likely to find yourself needing extra heads as your business grows. That is where recruitment comes in; this is the process of finding the right person for the right role, and at the right time.

“Whether it is your first time hiring, or you already have people working for your business, it is important you make sure the persons you are taking on are right for the role. You will want to ensure they align with your organisational vision and goals. The recruitment process covers the whole hiring process, from identifying a need to hire all the way through to offering someone a job,” she said.

Although an organisation’s capacity to grow is defined by how it approaches staff development, some businesses find themselves on the back-end when it comes to creating a meaningful learning and development strategy.

Jamar stated that employee retention, productivity, creativity and motivation will improve for organisations that provide the right employee-training opportunities. Employee training and development is also an essential part of growing a positive company culture, which naturally encourages employees to stick around.

“It is all very well understanding the importance of training and development, but actually identifying your employees’ needs is the crucial part. Get it wrong and you could be wasting valuable time and money on training that may not be necessary,” he said.

“Your staff are one of your most important assets and it is important to make sure they are fully integrated into your business if you want to get the best out of them,” Jamar added.

They said it can be easy to overlook human resource in a business. Many entrepreneurs get their businesses off to a flying start but grapple with people management as the business starts to flourish.

“Managing staff takes time and it requires specific skills. Human resources is an area of expertise many business owners lack. Regardless of skills, the value of human resource in business is not always immediately apparent. With just a few employees, business leaders feel like they have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the people they hire and manage,” Natassia said.

“Consider the consequences of poor human resources. When employees do not feel supported, and are not being given opportunities, work long hours, and so on, their motivation to perform is impacted,” she added.

She warned that underdeliver on effective human resources and you will see a knock-on effect on your bottom line. People, culture and business success go hand-in-hand. Reputation as an employer is influential in attracting talent. It also impacts on customers.