10 Questions to Test the Health of Your HR Processes

Most businesses don’t realise their HR processes are weak when everything is going well.

The real test comes when an employee underperforms, a manager needs to take disciplinary action, someone raises a grievance, or the business suddenly needs to change the way it operates.

For South African employers, HR is not simply about keeping employees happy or having a folder of policies somewhere on a shared drive. Good HR processes should help the business make consistent, informed decisions while meeting its obligations under South African employment legislation.

The following ten questions provide a practical way to check where your business currently stands.

1. Does every employee have up-to-date written terms of employment?

Employers should ensure that employees have clear, current written terms recording the important aspects of the employment relationship, including matters such as the employee’s role, remuneration, working arrangements and other applicable conditions.

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) requires employers, subject to the Act’s application, to provide prescribed written particulars of employment and to update those particulars where relevant terms change. A properly drafted employment agreement is generally the most practical way to record these terms and provide clarity for both parties.

What to do: Take a sample of five employee files and check whether the written employment terms are current, properly recorded and consistent with the employees’ actual positions and working arrangements.

FIC Consulting also provides practical guidance on employment contracts for South African employers, including what employers should consider when reviewing their agreements.

2. Are your HR policies actually being used?

Having a disciplinary policy, leave policy or code of conduct does not necessarily mean you have a functioning HR process.

Ask yourself:

• Do managers know which policies apply?
• Have employees been given access to them?
• Are managers applying them consistently?
• Are the policies still relevant to how the business operates?

A policy that sits in a handbook but is ignored in practice can create more confusion than clarity.

What to do: Pick three important policies and ask three managers to explain what they would actually do if an employee breached each one. Their answers should broadly align.

FIC Consulting’s resources on HR templates and policies also highlight the importance of keeping policies current, practical and appropriate for the organisation.

3. Do you deal with poor performance before it becomes a crisis?

One of the most common mistakes is waiting until an employee’s performance has deteriorated badly before addressing it.

By then, management may be frustrated, the employee may feel blindsided, and there may be little documentation showing what was expected or what support was provided.

What to do: For every employee with ongoing performance concerns, ask:

What exactly are they failing to achieve, have we told them clearly, have we discussed it with them, and have we given them a reasonable opportunity to improve?

Don’t automatically treat poor performance as misconduct. The reason for the problem should influence the approach.

4. Documentation and BCEA records

If a manager says, “We discussed this with him months ago”, can the business actually show what was discussed?

Good documentation does not mean documenting every conversation an employee has. It means keeping appropriate records of important matters such as performance discussions, warnings, grievances, investigations, agreements and significant employment decisions.

The BCEA imposes specific statutory record-keeping obligations relating to employment information, working time and remuneration. Separately, maintaining appropriate records of performance management, discipline, grievances and other significant employment decisions is important for demonstrating fair and consistent HR processes.

What to do: Look at three recent employee issues. If someone unfamiliar with the situation read the file, would they understand what happened, what management did and why?

If not, your documentation process needs attention.

5. Do your managers know the difference between misconduct and poor performance?

This is a surprisingly important question.

An employee who deliberately breaks a workplace rule may be dealing with a very different issue from an employee who genuinely cannot meet the required performance standard.

Yet these situations are sometimes handled in exactly the same way.

What to do: Give your managers five hypothetical employee situations and ask them to identify whether each appears to involve misconduct, poor performance or another issue.

If managers regularly disagree, that is a useful indication that they need clearer guidance.

6. Would you handle two similar employee problems consistently?

Imagine two employees commit essentially the same offence six months apart.

One receives a warning. The other is dismissed.

Could you explain why?

Consistency does not necessarily mean every case must produce exactly the same outcome. The circumstances of each case matter. But employers should be able to explain meaningful differences in how similar situations were handled.

What to do: Review your last few disciplinary matters. Look for patterns in the allegations, evidence, processes and outcomes.

If the differences cannot be explained, investigate why.

7. Do you have a clear process for handling grievances and workplace complaints?

A complaint should not simply disappear into an email inbox.

Employees need to know how they can raise concerns, while management needs to know who receives the complaint, how it is assessed, what should be documented and when an investigation may be appropriate.

This becomes particularly important when complaints involve harassment, discrimination, bullying or serious conflict.

Certain complaints, particularly allegations of harassment or discrimination, may trigger specific obligations under employment equity legislation and should be addressed promptly and appropriately.

What to do: Ask a manager:

“If an employee came to you tomorrow with a serious workplace complaint, what would you do first?”

If the answer is unclear, your grievance process may need work.

8. Do you know what happens when an employee breaks a workplace rule?

The appropriate disciplinary response should not be invented from scratch every time something goes wrong.

Minor misconduct may, depending on the circumstances, be addressed informally, while more serious allegations may require a formal disciplinary process.

Managers should understand the basic steps involved in addressing potential misconduct, including establishing the facts, considering the employee’s response and applying the appropriate process.

What to do: Write down the steps your business would take after discovering a serious workplace rule violation.

Then compare those steps with your disciplinary policy.

If the written process and what managers actually do are different, you have found something worth fixing.

9. Are your employee records accurate and up to date?

An employee’s file should not become a collection of documents that nobody reviews until there is a dispute.

In addition to the records employers are legally required to retain, employee files should contain appropriate and current documentation relating to matters such as employment terms, leave, warnings, performance management and relevant employee correspondence.

The BCEA requires employers to maintain specified employment records, including information relating to employees, hours worked and remuneration.

What to do: Choose three employee files at random and conduct a basic audit.

Ask:

If this employee resigned tomorrow or a serious dispute arose, would we have an accurate record of their employment history?

If the answer is no, start improving the system now rather than later.

10. Would you feel confident if the CCMA became involved tomorrow?

This is perhaps the most revealing question.

You don’t need to assume that every employee disagreement will become a CCMA matter. But ask yourself whether your business could clearly explain:

• What happened
• What the employee was expected to do
• What the employee was told
• What evidence exists
• What process was followed
• Why management made its decision

Employers should also consider whether any applicable bargaining council agreement, collective agreement or sector-specific requirement imposes additional employment conditions or procedures.

If you would struggle to answer those questions, that is a sign that your HR processes deserve attention.

TIAAN DWYER – DIRECTOR/HR & LABOUR CONSULTANT

I am deeply passionate about supporting small to medium-sized businesses, and my mission is to be an integral part of my clients’ success stories. I firmly believe in the power of partnership and the value of getting to know my clients’ businesses inside and out. By understanding their unique challenges and aspirations, I can provide tailored support and solutions that truly make a difference. My commitment to your success is unwavering, and I am dedicated to helping you navigate the path to achievement, every step of the way. Let’s embark on this journey together, where your business goals become our shared mission.

Over the years I have gained specialist HR experience working in various sectors within the engineering, construction, professional services, and catering/restaurants industries. As a business owner myself, I can relate well to businesses and their needs.

We have recently welcomed a team of dedicated specialists who are now fully equipped to provide comprehensive support to our valued clients in the realms of payroll and bookkeeping. With their expertise and commitment, we can ensure that our clients receive meticulous care and attention to their financial needs.