What is a people operation?

People operations, or People Ops, is a human resources function focused on creating an exceptional employee experience and aligning employees' personal development and goals with the company's overall vision and priorities.

Although this function technically falls under human resources, its scope is much broader than traditional HR – it   enhances the performance of employees by providing them with the necessary support and resources.

What is the difference between human resources and people operations?

There are several differences between people operations and human resources:

• HR  is focused on logistical functions (such as benefits administration, payroll, and compliance).
• People Ops  focuses on achieving results through supporting employees and strengthening employer-employee relationships.
• Human resources  ensures that the organization and its infrastructure runs smoothly and efficiently.
• The purpose of people operations  is to ensure that the company runs effectively, with the understanding that  employee experience  , well-being, and engagement impact the overall performance of the organization.

However, HR and HR departments differ in their approach to employees.

• A typical strategic view of HR  treats the workforce as human capital that exists to serve the company's needs.
• People Ops  views employees as complete and unique individuals.

When it comes to people operations and HR, a more holistic and empathetic approach is taken in people operations. The ultimate goal is to empower employees to discover and reach their full potential – when they succeed, the company succeeds too.

10 Operating duties of common people

People in people operations jobs shoulder a variety of employee-focused responsibilities, including:

• Branding:  Evaluating and changing company culture to create brand ambassadors  among the workforce  and improve the candidate experience
• Onboarding:   Providing support  to new employees and ensuring clarity on appropriate contact points for issues and queries
• Culture:  Creating and encouraging employee alignment with the values, beliefs, norms, expectations, and behaviors that   create a positive work environment .
• Engagement:  Ensuring that  employees  feel connected to and interested in their work.
• Performance: Helping employees   set and achieve  personal and professional goals , thereby improving organizational performance.
• Training:  Providing employees with opportunities  to develop new skills relevant to company needs  as well as support their individual career goals.
• Recognition:  Publicly honoring employees  and the impact of their work  .
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI):  Ensuring that  employees from all backgrounds  can advance and work in a discrimination-free environment.
• Paid Leave (PTO):  To provide support to employees who  need leave  and to assist them in reintegrating upon return from leave.
• Offboarding: Providing  a smooth farewell  to departing employees while maintaining the integrity of the employer brand  .

In smaller organisations, there may be one or two people performing HR and people operations functions. However, larger organisations are typically able to budget for multiple people operations functions, such as:

• DEI Coordinator
• Onboarding Specialist
• learning and development coach
• People Operations Manager

Best practices for people operations

Here's an in-depth exploration of how a people operations department can best address some of the most critical issues affecting an organization's workforce.

benefits

In many organizations, every employee of a particular position or level   is offered the same benefits package . Packages are usually designed keeping in mind industry standards or based on the best financial interest of the company.

In this age of personalisation, where both customers and employees want to shape their experience with a company, a people operations approach could involve employees creating their own packages and selecting benefits from a variety of options that suit their needs and lifestyle.

compensation

In earlier times, roles and compensation were quite similar and industry-specific. Most employers in any industry used the same designations, job descriptions, and compensation structures for similar roles.

However, the way people work takes into account two factors that previous remuneration methods did not consider – the strategic goals of the organisation and the changing nature of the work environment.

This approach means that roles are based on what the company needs to accomplish its mission, and  the remuneration philosophy  is set (and adjusted) based on the requirements of that particular role – not necessarily based on the “industry standard”.

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The HR approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion aims to ensure compliance with the law.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor strictly prohibit any kind of discrimination in hiring and employment practices.   The role of the human resources department is to ensure that everyone follows these laws and has a means to report potential violations.

However, the People Ops team takes a stance beyond legal compliance. What is People Ops if not a way to ensure employees of all backgrounds have a safe and welcoming workplace experience?

DEI initiatives, such as  employee resource groups  , celebrating diverse holidays, and unconscious bias training, help foster a sense of belonging and inclusiveness among all employees.

However, this approach may come under scrutiny as some US states  have passed anti-DEI legislation  .

Employee Development

Human resources departments generally view employee training as a mandatory task to meet certain regulatory requirements and ensure that employees have the basic skills to perform their jobs. Sometimes, if a problem arises or a new compliance rule comes into effect, human resources departments may require special training.

People Ops takes a more proactive and strategic approach known as employee development – ​​a career path and performance plan is developed for each employee, taking into account their personal and professional goals.

In place of annual performance reviews, employees are given frequent coaching to help them set goals, overcome obstacles, achieve goals, and earn promotions.

internal communications

With a typical HR approach,  internal communication  is one-way. All information is handed down to employees from the HR manager or someone above them. Employees are expected to receive and internalize the information to ensure full compliance.

People Workways considers internal communication opportunities to engage employees and connect them to the overall company mission. Employees are encouraged to share their feedback, concerns, and questions.

In departments operating with multiple people, policies are developed based on employee input to ensure that a variety of viewpoints are considered.

Payroll

Since  the payroll process  is so closely tied to financial and tax compliance, many HR departments have a well-defined system that runs without considering the employees. Even when mistakes are made, they are corrected from a compliance perspective.

A people operations approach helps employers understand that payroll mistakes can have a huge financial impact on employees. Therefore, the goal of the business is to fix these issues as quickly as possible and ensure that employees are paid on time.

 This often means streamlining and modernizing  the payroll process with software and employee self-service apps  . In some cases, employers  can offer daily pay through earned pay access .

Recruitment

Many HR departments aim to make the hiring process as seamless as possible for themselves. Due to time constraints, they may create job descriptions with unrealistic requirements and  use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter out as many applicants  as possible. HR professionals may not communicate with candidates who do not get the job.

People operations, on the other hand, handles the entire recruitment process, with an eye on maintaining the organization’s employer brand, and ensuring that each candidate is treated with respect.

Candidates are given constant communication and updates, even if it is through automated software. These departments consider the skills and qualifications required for the job rather than following industry-standard education and experience requirements.

Employee Satisfaction

Many HR departments are so focused on daily operations that there is little time left to worry about employee satisfaction. As long as employees comply with policies and remain productive at work,  employee satisfaction  may not be a major concern.

The HR department takes a reactive approach to employee issues, aiming to give them quick rest and help them refocus on work.

On the other hand, satisfaction from the employee experience is at the heart of people operations. This approach aims to ensure that employees enjoy their work and find meaning in it.

People operations professionals understand that employee satisfaction is a key driver of engagement. When  employees are engaged  , they are more motivated and productive.