10 Smart Goals for HR Professionals in 2020

7 New Year’s Resolutions HR Pros Actually Plan to Keep This Year

Updated January 2023

New Year’s resolutions can get a bad rap. And if anyone knows about unwarranted bad raps, it’s HR professionals.

We get it. New Year’s resolutions often set people up for failure. Or worse, they make us feel bad about ourselves not following through on what we said we’d do.

But resolutions, at their core, are goals. And goals—when they’re specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely—can help HR professionals go beyond their daily to-do list and achieve recognition-worthy results.

So, if you’re hoping to learn, grow, develop, or find balance this year, here are seven resolutions you can actually keep—with tips for how to get started, too.

1. Strike a Work-Life Balance (and Help Others Do the Same)

If 2020, 2021, and 2022 taught us anything, it’s to align our lives—both at work and at home—with our priorities. Life’s too unpredictable to stay in a job where you feel burned out all the time.

Make 2023 the year you seek balance in your life—and help others do the same. Lead by example by taking time off, truly logging off when you’re not working, and working at a sustainable pace.

“This is the year I take ownership of my time as an HR professional. Part of this initiative includes setting clear expectations of the things I will/won't do as I support leaders and managers in my role as a strategic HR partner. By empowering managers to really know, and therefore really manage, their people, I am better able to be a strategic partner by helping the leader to grow their organization and manage their group's goings-on in more meaningful ways - my time is essentially freed up to give them better support from an HR standpoint!”

2. Tap Into Your Creativity With an Abundance Mindset

While many small business HR pros are busy keeping the lights on (and payroll on time, and new hires onboarded), most also have a creative side that, when they tap into it, can help solve problems for your organization.

Our advice? Give your HR teams (especially teams of one) space to be creative. Learn more about how to do that in resolution #7, below.

“And. Small word, big potential. 'And' cancels out the oppressive need to constantly choose between 1,2 or more things. I'm focusing on using creativity this year to say AND more and get more for both me and my clients. Resolutions shouldn't be about what not to do, what is oppressive, but rather things that help to evolve you to the best version of yourself! Try it!”

3. Just Say No to Negativity at Work

Part of being able to find balance—and space for creativity—is a workplace culture that promotes psychological safety and supports well-being.

This year, leave any toxic workplaces that allow for negativity, bullying, or unhealthy habits to fester.

“I tolerate more negativity from others than I should. Not everything is happy and positive but letting toxic behavior infect me and spread to others is going to stop this year.”

4. Join the Community Democratizing HR

Democratizing HR requires gathering together a large group of professionals who are passionate about the industry and have unique perspectives or expertise in one area or another.

One HR professional may know everything about how to find, close, and onboard a new executive. Another may be a people analytics wizard. When everyone comes to the table with their best experiences in hand, everyone benefits.

Supplemental reading: Democratizing HR: What It Means and Why It Matters to the HR Community

We know that there are a lot of people out there who fit this description—who want to make a difference and give back—but don’t know how or where to start.

That’s why we created HR Mavericks. And we’d love for you to join us.

“This will be the BREAKTHROUGH year. As part of my breakthrough process, I have to better and more frequently share the things I learn. For this reason, I became part of this great community and one of my goals will be to monthly write an article for the HR Maverick encyclopedia.

5. Foster a Sense of Belonging at Your Workplace

As HR professionals, you know that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace helps foster a sense of belonging for your people. You also know that a sense of belonging supports employee engagement and retention—two important influences on business success.

Here are some ways to get started:

6. Stay on Top of the Trends Shaping the World of HR

Good news—we can help you out with this resolution right away!

Subscribe to receive HR Newsflash, our weekly newsletter featuring advice on trending topics to help you navigate the ever-changing world of HR, right to your inbox. Each week, we ruminate on the hottest topics in the HR industry—and share our insights as well as advice from HR industry experts.

Sign up now—and then pat yourself on the back for a resolution done and dusted!

7. Delegate Administrative Tasks to an HR Software Solution

… and we know just the one!

At Eddy, we help busy HR professionals by taking administrative tasks off your plate, so you can focus on taking care of your employees. With our all-in-one HR Suite you can hire, onboard, manage, and pay employees with one easy-to-use platform.

Maybe we’ll even tick the boxes on a few of your other New Year’s resolutions, too.

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