In your busy workday and your list of to-dos, from seeing patients to documenting and coding the visits, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that human resource tasks have taken a back seat. We get it. Employment laws, rules, and regulations are always changing, and with a new year upon us, awareness of the new laws we must comply with is of utmost importance. Did you know many states have new laws for 2025 on paid leave, discrimination protection, child labor, medical marijuana, and workplace safety (among others)?
HR as a Strategic Partner
In the past, practice owners or office managers have typically been the ones handling employee and HR issues. However, they’ve often been caught off guard, only dealing with problems like discrimination claims or wrongful termination lawsuits when they arise and unsure how to proceed.
In today’s highly litigious healthcare environment, HR issues have become too costly to deal with retroactively. When they do come up, it’s certainly nice to know that you have professional HR policies and procedures in place to protect you. HR can head off many of these issues by functioning proactively.
HR can also help shape strategies for the organization’s growth and success in driving goals, improving efficiency, and building a positive workplace culture. If companies integrate HR early into strategic discussions and decision-making processes and involve them in setting organizational goals and objectives, companies ensure that workforce planning aligns with long-term business needs. This involves tailoring recruitment and retention efforts, fostering ongoing learning, and creating programs to attract the best talent. Including HR in business planning for the future helps ensure businesses have the necessary tools in place to get ahead. A positive work environment, competitive pay, growth opportunities, and recognition are all key factors in reducing turnover and lowering recruitment costs, ultimately benefiting the organization’s bottom line.
With HR sitting at the executive leadership table, businesses can plan ahead—one, three, and five years ahead—supporting the company’s growth objectives.
A New Approach
As healthcare and businesses in general grow more complex, HR professionals are shifting key priorities from administrative duties to business strategies and long-term retention and development goals to best support the growing needs of organizations. Businesses that don’t want to fund a full-time in-house HR department can outsource certain HR administrative functions or consult with HR professionals who specialize in business growth, compliance, and retention.
Additionally, businesses can invest in HR technology and data analytics tools to provide HR teams with the insights they need to anticipate workforce trends, optimize talent management, and identify gaps in skills or performance. HR professionals can then use this data to forecast future talent needs, plan for succession, and tailor employee development programs.
Fostering a strong collaboration between HR and other departments is another important step. Encouraging cross-departmental teamwork helps HR better understand the evolving needs of the organization, while also allowing HR to contribute to broader business strategies with insights into workforce dynamics.
Who in your organization is handling your HR functions? That person should be using training programs to close skill gaps and ensure the company is sourcing candidates from the right talent pools.
Conclusion
Today HR needs to be more than just a minor support role. By aligning talent with company goals, encouraging a culture of learning, and improving operational efficiency, HR can contribute to the overall business strategy.
Ultimately, HR’s strategic role is essential for creating a thriving workplace that attracts and keeps top talent, boosts productivity, and supports the bottom line.
For a list of new laws, visit “Key State Laws Set to Take Effect on January 1, 2025” in the National Law Review (natlawreview.com/article/key-state-laws-set-take-effect-january-1-2025).
Erica Leavis is the director of Human Resources at CBS Medical Billing and Consulting and vice president, chief human resources officer of The Buzz HR.
