A human resources department handles a
number of administrative duties within an organization. They are involved in recruiting and hiring processes, help plan strategy, and act as a bridge between management and employees.
It can be an extremely challenging field, considering they’re involved in an employee’s life cycle (at the company), from hiring to termination, and everything in between, sometimes especially so for smaller companies that don’t have an HR department to depend on.
Some of the small companies have only one HR person, and in some cases, these responsibilities belong to the CEO. Regardless, if the business is massive or small, owners need to understand the challenges which the HR person is facing so that they get ready to tackle them as their company is growing.
Here are some common challenges HR faces and how to deal with them.
Productivity
Productivity is key to keeping things flowing. Keeping people engaged is key to productivity.
There are a number of ways to achieve that.
Feedback shows an employee their efforts (or in some cases, lack of effort) are noticed and hopefully appreciated. Showing appreciation doesn’t have to be costly. Bonuses are good when they can be managed, but other forms of recognition or rewards (bonuses, a gift card, treating the department to lunch) make a worker feel valued rather than invisible.
Providing adequate training -- for all levels -- can ensure better productivity, too.
An HR department can also set up
performance management systems that help to monitor employee progress throughout the year, including the amount of time spent on tasks. That can be a valuable tool for both manager and employee in that they both learn where time is being devoted, and if more help, a switch in duties, or some other system polishing may be needed. (Which in turn may lead to -- you guessed it -- better productivity.)
Health and safety
According to a study by the
World Health Organization, health and safety are a significant concern in every organization; therefore, it is advisable to include health and safety issues in your documentation since nobody wants to work under unsafe conditions. To do so risks injury as well as sick time, loss of productivity, overtime, health, and potential legal costs). Create health and safety regulations and a supporting document that is fair and engaging, and make the information readily available to workers.
Diversity and discrimination
Our world is growing more diverse, but this remains a common and challenging issue for HR. Despite discrimination being illegal -- on the basis of age, race, disability, or gender -- it remains a major issue.
It can manifest in obvious ways -- slurs, for example -- but also happens in ways that
don’t appear so obvious on the surface. Plum assignments may be given to white workers, or men end up earning more than female countertops, despite job duties, experience, and performance is comparable.
Today most organizations include policies relating to diversity within the workplace. These policies include:
- Training: To educate employees on the benefits of working together, and the legal implications of discrimination and harassment.
- Management: The organization can set a strong example for diversity in the workplace by hiring managers based on accomplishments, proving to the staff that ethnicity, age, or gender has nothing to do with succeeding at the company.
- Survey: The company can ask the employees to participate in a survey each month to measure the effectiveness of diversity policies.
- Hiring policies: According to federal law, it is illegal to discriminate against race, age, religion, or ethnicity. Hiring should be based on experience.
Disciplinary
Companies should have a policy in place on disciplinary procedures, and it’s up to HR to develop that.
Every employee, upon onboarding, should be given a copy and sign an acknowledgment that they have received, read, and understand the policies. The handbook not only teaches workers and management what is acceptable, but it also outlines a response plan for when discipline is necessary.
In the case of a problem, usually a firm but a
gentle reminder is the first step. If the matter does not resolve after the initial action, a meeting and another reminder should follow. Offer a solution or refresh their memory of existing rules -- breaktimes should not exceed 15 minutes, for example -- and have the employee sign and date documentation that they received a warning.
From there, if things do not improve, warn them that they face probation and potential termination.
Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoys writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. If you want to find more articles by Patrick, you can find them on his personal blog or in
Sunshine Behavioral Health.
