Biggest HR Challenges & How to Solve Them

by Stacey Mc Grath, Digital Marketing Executive with Intelligo Sofrware who provide Corporate HR Software and Payroll Software

HR challenges in the current working climate can affect many aspects of the business. Most of the time, HR handles problems that arise between employees and the company. But now HR must also consider the general mood and well-being of the business as a whole. Out of all the daily concerns and tasks, there are some which are more challenging. So is the priority of the department to find solutions. Here are two of the biggest challenges facing HR departments. As well as some tips on how to solve them.

Recruitment & Retention
Many people think that the main responsibility of HR is to source and hire new employees, whether recruitment is internal, or with the help of an agency.  It’s important the process is managed well for the attraction of the best possible talent. Finding employees with the right mix of skills and fit is quite a task, even when the pool of available candidates is vast. A good HR software solution should help with a lot of the burden of recruitment, allowing HR to focus their efforts on employee retention instead.

After all, employees are the lifeblood of any company. Businesses also invest significant time and money into employees, making them a valuable asset. The challenge for HR is to keep this asset within the firm; this is called employee retention. A balancing act between salary, culture, and incentives. HR needs to provide each employee with the right percentage of each. Though some may be more important than others depending on the individual employee and organisation, this ensures employee happiness, leading to a more productive workforce while retaining good employees.

But how do you improve this?  If an employee is an integral part of your businesses success, you should be flexible and willing to listen to their needs. Though listening to your staff is always best. Conducting stay interviews and offering clear career paths are some of the tasks in employee retention. So re-visit the employee engagement techniques of your company to assess areas for improvement.

Compliance & Training
The HR department is a pivotal player of any business’s compliance structure. One of the challenges of the HR department is to educate all employees on compliance. From company policies and procedures as well as ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Especially since certain industries need specific training and certification for the work involved, which of course are subjective to the location and industry of the company itself. That is why training is one of the biggest challenges facing HR. After all, failure to follow certain laws and regulations could have an adverse impact on your company. Leading to harsh fines and even affecting your business’ reputation.

To avoid this, HR should look to ensure adequate training and development initiatives for all employees.  These can help them to understand the regulations they must adhere to, as well as fostering an atmosphere of learning and further progression. If your business relies on employees certified skills, it’s necessary to ensure its upkeep. Although the employee also carries the responsibility for their professional certifications. With both sides keeping on top of it, it’s less likely to fall through the cracks.

Even where training occurs internally, documenting course attendance in an HR system is important too, as it allows for at-a-glance evaluation of workforce skills and compliance. Has every member of the team received full training? Has anybody missed the data security training or needs a refresher? These can assist with a lot of the compliance and training problems faced by HR, solving a lot of predicaments going forward.

In the end, HR departments with always face challenges. That is the nature of the role. But the ability to handle them well is what matters. These are a few of the problems and some ideas for solving them, hopefully making the role of HR a small bit easier.