The personal audit has one goal – it has to indicate processes in the organization that work well and those that are dysfunctional. All this is done to correct processes in the organization. A well-done HR audit gives answers to strategic questions related to personnel management and indicated the direction and methods for the realization of personal function. Moreover, it facilitates employment decision-making and gives direction to planning processes as well as helps with shaping personal paths of work development. Taking into consideration that in recent years in the job market the meaning of human resources successively increases, the realization of HR audits becomes more and more popular and common

Personal audit – table of contents:

  1. What is a personal audit?
  2. The scope of personal audit
  3. Benefits and risks related to a personal audit
  4. Summary

What is a personal audit?

The tool used to diagnose and assessment of human resources is a personal audit, sometimes called an HR audit. This type of audit can be realized independently or be a part of other audits for example managerial or organizational ones. Staff audit may be defined as a purposeful process (activity) advisory or monitoring in nature, that is comprised of research and assessment of human resources and personal function. The main aim of the control is the establishment of accordance between the current state with planned and accepted organizational standards.

Among the main features of a personal audit are:

  • objective assessment made by auditor and improved personal function
  • improvement of a used solution, as the main premise of audit
  • research and assessment of accepted standards, established way of performing
  • cooperation between the auditor and managers and employees both higher and lower level
  • realization with the use of the right tools designed to gather information and their analysis
  • presentation of objective proof, information of quantitative and/or qualitative nature, that is verifiable
  • preparation of all collected data in the form of the final report that can form a base for planning and implementation of corrective actions

The audit should be realized in an ethical way and with due regard for the law. Moreover, the auditor in his activities should be guided by professionalism, accuracy, impartiality, and independence in opinion forming.

personal audit

The scope of personal audit

Among the fundamental issues checked by the auditor are competencies and motivations of employees, effectiveness, and cost of work, state and structure of employment, and the level of turnover.

The personal audit may be realized on the level of individual, group, the whole organization, and personal function. Several fields are being checked concerning the controlled level.

Audit on an individual level. The subject of the study: individual work potential, organizational behavior, results of work.

Audit on group level.The subject of the study: interaction inside working teams and informal groups, group potential of work, behavior, and results of work, coherence of group, interpersonal relations, role and strength of leadership, the lifecycle of the team, factors influencing group functioning and the results achieved.

Audit of personal function.The subject of the study: strategies, methods, and techniques of human resources management, processes organization in personnel, the effectiveness of staff management, recruitment of employees, the system of assessment and rewards, professional development opportunities, staff turnover, and administrative operations.

Despite the type and scoop of personal audit the necessary condition for the right realization of the process is the preparation and following of the right procedures that should take into account all norms, standards, and specificity of the given industry. The procedure should set the goal, subject, and scoop of the personal audit, as well as standards of study and assessment and the area of responsibility of individuals taking part in the audit, identification of the current state, verification and interpretation of results, and preparation of a final report that contains the evaluation and recommendations.

types of personal audit

Benefits and risks related to a personal audit

As was already mentioned before characteristics of an HR audit are its independence, impartiality, and comprehensiveness of study that allow assessment of all human resources in the organization.

The key benefits related to audit realization are:

  • determination of real contribution and commitment of employees in realization of main goals of the organization
  • an increase of responsibility and professionalism of HR employees
  • harmonization of activities in the field of human resources
  • adjustment of internal regulations to employment regulations
  • the cost of work rationalization by increasing of effectiveness of used procedures
  • overview of the personal information system

Besides the benefits, a personal audit can bring some threats. It is a risk related to the specificity of the research related to the interdisciplinarity of personal function, and objective limits in terms of assessment and measurement, which may result in a false view of the results. Other risk factors are related to the culture, procedures, and competencies of persons who commission and realize the audit process. Moreover, the objectivity of the audit may be subjected to the expectations of the leading team that may wish to get positive results of control. Therefore it is so important to comply with rules and procedures as well as the reliable and transparent realization of the whole process.

Summary

The ability to configure of personal audit is a chance to adjust the right compilation of studied fields to the specificity of functioning and organization of the given company. The audit should be considered an important tool that facilitates practices of human resources management in an organization despite its size, structure, and branch of activity. Results may become a signpost that shows the effective realization of the personal function of the organization and the strengthening of the image of the HR department in comparison to the whole company.

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Author: Nicole Mankin

HR manager with an excellent ability to build a positive atmosphere and create a valuable environment for employees. She loves to see the potential of talented people and mobilize them to develop.