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Think of company growth, and pictures of splashy marketing campaigns, product rollouts, or massive investor rounds come to mind. But behind the scenes, there’s a key player who quietly builds the foundation for all of that success: Human Resources (HR).
HR leaders are not limited to hiring and handling payroll anymore. Today’s HR leaders are playing a vital role in shaping strategy, fostering culture, and building the kind of workforce that can scale and grow with the business.
If your company is eyeing expansion, you, as an HR professional, can be one of its strongest allies. Here, we’ll share a few tips that can help you drive company expansion and scalability.
#1 Offer Leadership Training Aligned To Strategic Objectives
Growing companies need leaders who can handle bigger challenges, larger teams, and more complex decisions.
But most people don’t know how to scale their leadership skills alongside company growth. You can play a huge part in finding and growing these leaders to keep things steady and maintain company culture.
Finding future leaders from within is an important step. Look for employees who show leadership promise. Use performance information and feedback to spot them. Then, offer special development programs.
Give these people training, mentors, and challenging projects. These stretch assignments help them grow into leadership roles. Experiential learning is very powerful here. Creating a group of future leaders, often called a high-potential leadership program, ensures important roles are never empty.
Measuring the impact of training is also important. You should track progress and see if the training is making a difference. Looking at things like employee engagement or productivity can show real results. This allows you to show the tangible business impact of its learning and development efforts.
#2 Align Compensation Design With Business Strategy
How a company pays its people greatly affects their motivation and influences whether they choose to stay with it.
When compensation is designed strategically, employees work harder and are more productive.
Low pay often leads to people leaving. In fact, poor compensation was the number one reason for resigning from a job in 2021. It’s important to make sure your company’s pay plan supports its overall business goals.
A key strategy is to link pay directly to company goals. Compensation plans should support what the company wants to achieve, like growth or profit targets. Companies also need to be competitive. Checking what other companies are paying for similar jobs helps attract and keep top talent.
Rewarding performance is another vital step. Tying bonuses or raises to specific results helps the business grow. This encourages employees to do their very best work.
Zappos really shines when it comes to showing appreciation. The brand has built a culture of appreciation that lets teammates give each other props. Its “Zollar” program is a fun way for employees to earn ‘play money’ they can use for merchandise. It also awards awesome parking spots through its “Master of WOW Parking” initiative.
#3 Cultivate Essential Skills Through Targeted Learning
As companies grow, new skills are always needed. The customer service approach that worked for 100 clients might not work for 1,000. The project management methods that handled small teams might break down with larger, distributed groups.
To quickly address emerging skill needs, you must conduct a skill gap analysis. That is, identify what skills the team has and what the company needs.
Once you figure out the skill gap, create targeted learning programs that build the specific skills your expansion requires. These could include workshops, online courses, coaching, and on-the-job learning.
Say your media company is expanding into sports. In that case, consider supporting team members in enrolling promising writers in sports journalism degrees.
St. Bonaventure University explains that students learn the nuances of sports, follow the best practices of journalistic excellence, and gain hands-on experience by covering events right from the sidelines. This gives your team the right tools to perform their tasks.
Even better, many universities offer these programs online, offering flexibility for working professionals. That lets your employees upskill without stepping away from their day jobs.
#4 Champion A Diverse Culture Of Employee Support
Growth phases can be stressful and overwhelming. People take on new responsibilities, work with unfamiliar processes, and often deal with increased workloads.
Building a culture of support starts with recognizing that expansion affects everyone differently. Some people thrive on change and new challenges. Others prefer stability and predictability. Your support systems need to help both types of employees succeed.
A key step is to foster psychological safety. This is important because a significant 65% of employees believe that poor psychological safety increases physical safety risks in their workplace.
Create an environment where employees feel safe to speak up. They should feel free to share ideas and even make mistakes without fear. This safety is the foundation for innovation and scalability. Without it, employees may hold back, limiting the flow of ideas crucial for growth.
Train leaders how to be inclusive and manage conflicts. They should listen carefully and respect differences.
Support employee growth by offering training and mentorship. This shows you care about their development. Make sure company policies reflect inclusive practices. This includes fair performance reviews and career opportunities.
Ready to Scale Up?
Growing a company successfully requires more than just good products and strong finances. It requires people who are prepared, motivated, and supported through the journey.
HR leaders who focus on these four areas create the human foundation that makes sustainable expansion possible. So, adopt these practices and watch the company grow.
Disclaimer: The views, data and case studies we publish on our website are purely based on publicly accessible information and organizational disclosures. Amazing Workplaces® does not take a position on any legal or regulatory matters concerning any information available on our website.
